Blow Me Away
by Silken Ink
Summary: Everyone knows Matsuri and Gaara love each other, except for them. So Naruto decides to take matters into his own hands, and sets up a little birthday surprise for his young Kazekage friend. What will happen? Rated M for a reason, stay away kiddos. (Finally finished)
1. Chapter 1

Matsuri and Gaara pairing, mostly in Matsuri POV. For reference, everyone is about 17 or so.

Oh, and Italics are for thoughts.

* * *

 _Oh good lord_ , Matsuri groaned mentally. Running down the streets of Suna, in the middle of the day, was not a good idea, by any means. But unfortunately, if everything was going to be ready for tonight, she was just gonna have to suck it up and keep running. She sighed and hustled her butt, hauling the big heavy bags she'd just gotten from the store to the meet-up point.

When she had seen Naruto, Temari, Kankuro, and even Baki at the training grounds earlier today, she never would have guessed that she'd become part of this grand mission Naruto had concocted. _Well, I wouldn't have guessed he'd have concocted the plan to begin with, so of course I wouldn't have…oh never mind._ She shook her head, irritated by her lapse in focus. Apparently Naruto had managed to recruit Temari and Kankuro, but from the sound of it, Baki wasn't interested and had left soon after she'd arrived on the scene. So when Naruto saw her, he got all excited and asked her to join up with them on this 'mission.'

The mission: put together a birthday party for Gaara.

Lots of people were invited, all of Gaara's closest friends, which by now was actually a pretty decent number. Of course, a lot of them he'd gotten from Naruto. So there were going to be a lot of Leaf ninja in town. She sighed in relief as she saw the building she was running towards, the sight wonderful to see, and busted through the door to the location Naruto had rented. It was a pretty good-sized space, with plenty of room for everyone. It was also quite lovely, wooden floors, lots of big porthole windows, very open and inviting. There were small round tables set around, with bunches of comfy chairs, and even some sitting areas with sofas. She was pretty sure she'd even seen some big poofy chairs, big comfy sand bags you could sit in.

Naturally, as Matsuri came in the doorway she tripped over the doorjamb and was going so fast that her and the bags were sent to the floor and skidded a good ways into the room.

"Watch out!" She yelped as she careened towards Naruto's legs, but he was about as graceful as Matsuri sometimes, and his wide eyes spotted her right as she hit him. He was sent to the floor, on top of her and they ungracefully continued for a few feet more in a tangle of limbs.

"Wha'MatsuAAAAAAHHRRRRIIII" He yelled, his arms and legs waving around frantically. They finally slid to a stop under a table, after knocking over some chairs. Naruto did most of the knocking over, what with the way his arms were cartwheeling rather violently, trying to stop their forward momentum.

"Sorry Naruto…" She mumbled, detangling herself from him and blushing as red as a tomato.

He huffed and they clambered out from under the table and onto our feet. "No problem Matsuri!" He said with a broad grin and bounded off to do who-knows-what.

The bags were at least still intact and so the stuff hadn't gone anywhere. She collected them all together and sorted through them. She had picked up decorations and food and a lot of both. Temari and Kankuro padded in, from the back room, probably drawn by the loud raucous that she had just cause upon her arrival.

"Oh good! The food is here!" Temari exclaimed and gathered it up, hustling it off to the kitchen. Meanwhile Kankuro took over the decorating, using his puppet master skills. Matsuri watched in amazement as he strung paper lanterns all along the ceiling, with little lights in them so they glowed. The walls were quickly draped in banners, and confetti sprinkled on all the flat surfaces. Meanwhile, Matsuri set to work blowing up balloons with the can of helium she had bought, and then tying them off with ribbons. She made several big bunches and tied them to various things throughout the room, and then tied single balloons here and there, mostly to chairs.

Temari put together some snack plates from the things Matsuri had bought and tastefully arranged them on a big table in the middle of the room. It looked great, and it was perfect timing because people were starting to show up. Lee and Guy Sensei, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi Sensei, and bunches of other Leaf Ninja popped up. Sand Shinobi also started coming in, and Matsuri couldn't help but notice that somehow a few of Gaara's fanclub had also managed to sneak into the party.

Most people thought Matsuri was part of his fanclub, but really, she kind of hated those girls. They were generally incredibly shallow, and just liked him for his good looks and power and position as Kazekage. And they hated her for being his student. They were jealous of her and the closer bond she shared with their heartthrob, and that made them hate her. Or at least, that was the only thing she could figure out to explain why they seemed to always be so angry and rude around her. Of course, that was one of two reactions she typically got from them. The other one, where they would corner her and interrogate her for information about Lord Gaara, was even worse.

She heaved a sigh, knowing they were going to be annoying, but there weren't too many of them, so maybe it wouldn't be a problem. If they got _too_ annoying she would make sure they got shown out of the party. She was determined that Gaara would have a good birthday party, and if they ruined it, they were going to have to deal with her rope javelin.

As people trickled in, Temari ran out to pick up the cake, and soon returned bearing the massive confectionary gourd. Matsuri took one look at the thing and burst into surprised laughter. She could just picture Gaara's face when he saw it, that funny mix of sardonic humor and disbelief that he sometimes got at his sibling's antics.

As the hour drew closer to the allotted time, she parked herself near the back as everyone took up positions with streamers and confetti to throw at Gaara's red head when he walked through the doors. Naruto winked and ran out, his job was to go fetch the Lord Kazekage and bring him here without letting him know what was going on.

 **Gaara POV**

He was in his office, doing his normal thing, and going through paperwork, when Naruto burst into the room, looking wild-eyed and potentially high on something. Gaara jerked upright, immediately concerned. "What is it Naruto? Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

"Gaara! You've got to come see this! It's so cool!" The yellow-head yelled, his eyes bright with excitement.

Gaara sighed, relieved that nothing was wrong. "Naruto, I have things I need to finish. Can it wait?"

"No! You have to come now! Like right now! It's urgent! It's not bad, but it's urgent!" Naruto barked and grabbed Gaara's wrist dragging him out from behind his desk.

Gaara grunted and huffed, his eyes wide in shock at the abrupt physical contact. He was dragged out of the office, down the hall, and into the street. Guards throughout the building had tried to stop them, but Gaara had just told them to stand down, and that nothing was the matter, and they had reluctantly obliged. They ran down through the streets, and Gaara was starting to think Naruto really was high or something and was growing just a little concerned for his friend's mental state.

They skidded to a halt in front of some large building, from the outside it almost looked like a restaurant, and Gaara was utterly confused as to why they were there. He didn't have to wait long for an answer, because as soon as they walked through the door Naruto whirled around and yelled, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

And suddenly Gaara found himself in the epicenter of a confetti bomb. Confetti, streamers, ribbons, sparkles, and who-know-what-else, was thrown at him and he quickly closed his eyes to prevent any stray confetti pieces or other stuff from invading his eyeballs. After a minute or two he felt the sensation of little bits of paper hitting him stop and he gingerly opened his eyes, and flushed with a mixture of shock and pleasure to see all his friends gathered into one space apparently for the sole reason of celebrating his birthday.

 **Matsuri POV**

As soon as Gaara walked in the door everyone shouted, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and started throwing confetti and other stuff at him. He flinched and closed his eyes until the impromptu shower was over with and then reopened them. Matsuri grinned at the look of shock and happiness that flooded his features when he saw everyone and he blinked at them all, apparently at a loss for words. Naruto took pity on him and dragged him out of the spotlight, hooking him around the neck and pulling him around the room to show him the food and everything else.

At first Gaara was completely surrounded by people wishing him happy birthday and giving him gifts, which Naruto took and put on a table over by one wall, so he wouldn't get overloaded, which was a distinct possibility at times. Gaara looked a little overwhelmed, but very happy. Not that he was smiling or anything, Matsuri wasn't really sure she had ever seen Gaara actually smile. But he had this glitter in his eyes that showed his enjoyment of the proceedings.

Everyone gathered around him and lit the candles sticking precariously out of the upper curve on his gourd-cake, and then the whole party group started singing happy birthday, rather loudly and without any melody whatsoever, but with plenty of enthusiasm nevertheless. At the end of the song, Gaara didn't seem entirely sure what to do and Naruto whispered in his ear that he was supposed to make a wish and blow out the candles. Gaara blinked and then a whoosh of his sand zipped over the tips of the candles, snuffing them all out with a single slash. And not a grain of sand landed on the cake. There was a round of applause and then the cake was cut and everyone dug in.

With so many people around him, Matsuri wasn't totally comfortable with approaching him, so she waited until everyone had calmed down and grouped off into two or three people here or there scattered throughout the room. Once there was just Gaara and Naruto and Temari hovering around the cake, Gaara's expression very similar to the way she had pictured it before, she timidly made her way over to them.

She and Gaara, or Lord Gaara as she called him, had been spending more time together lately, much to her delight and consternation. She had no idea how it had happened, although ever since she became his student they had spent regular time together as he taught her how to be a ninja. After she had become a full-fledged ninja of the sand, they had spent less time together, although he had still trained with her regularly. However, once he became Kazekage, they had barely seen each other at all for months.

She had missed her Sensei deeply, and by that time he was way more to her than just her teacher. At the time, he was really her only friend, though she had made some new friends in the various squads she had been a part of since then. But even more than that, she had harbored a crush on him for the longest time. That crush had slowly grown deeper and deeper as she grew up, and now she knew she was very much in love with the young Kazekage.

She supposed that his workload must have finally calmed down, for him to have sought her out again. But whatever the case, he had, and they had restarted their training sessions, and even hanging out some outside of the training fields. And the more time she spent with him, the more she fell in love with him. But even though they had been spending so much time together lately, and had built a comradery and comfort level while being together, she still couldn't help but sometimes be shy around him. She still found approaching him to be a little difficult at times, due to her shyness.

She eventually made her way over and stood behind him and a little to the side. As always he seemed to sense her presence because he immediately turned and looked at her. She blushed, but smiled up at him and said, "Happy Birthday, Lord Gaara."

His lips curled a little at the corners, which was the Gaara version of a smile, and Matsuri blushed a little pinker. Even that tiny little smile made her feel warm and fuzzy. It was so difficult to get even the tiniest twitch out of his lips, so every time she managed to get one of those teeny tiny grins out of him she felt super accomplished and happy.

"Thank you Matsuri." He said, his voice a little more melodic than usual, showing his happiness. And then he narrowed his eyes at her and she knew what he was going to say next. "And don't call me lord."

She blushed even redder. Lately he had been trying to get her to stop with the titles, but she had always called him something. Before, she had called him 'Gaara Sensei,' and so it was easy for her to translate that habit over to call him 'Lord Gaara.' Although occasionally she would slip up and call him Sensei now and then, which was always very embarrassing.

She cleared her throat, noticing the way Naruto and Temari were eying the two of them. Under their knowing gazes Matsuri began to feel a little self-conscious, and really hoped that her feelings for Gaara weren't as obvious as she felt like they were.

"Um…But you're Kazekage. It wouldn't be proper for me to call you by your first name." She mumbled at Gaara's continued stare.

He sighed. "Perhaps in my office you would be correct, but when it's just us, or when we're among friends, it's fine for you to drop the honorifics."

"Th-thank you, that's good to know." Matsuri stuttered, not entirely sure she was actually capable of just calling him by name. By adding an honorific she was creating a little bit of distance, and she was afraid that if she actually just called him by name it would feel too intimate, and maybe her feelings would be heard in the way she said his name.

She heard a very quiet growl come out of his throat and jumped, not expecting the aggravated sound of an animal to come from him. He sighed and shook his head, obviously exasperated with her, and yet there was affection in his gaze as his eyes met hers.

She felt very hot and shifted uncomfortably, and then decided that maybe it was time for her to go away. She cleared her throat again and shuffled back a step saying, "Well, I don't want to keep you from all the other guests, so…"

"Who are you referring to?" He asked, his head cocked to the side, and she heard that gentle teasing note he often got in his gravelly voice when he was playing with her.

She blinked and glanced around. Both Temari and Naruto had moved off, and at the moment, there were no other guests around the two of them. _Oh dear._

"Um…"

He chuckled, the sound low and deep and sending shivers up and down Matsuri's spine in a way that was very pleasurable and somewhat embarrassing. He turned and loaded up a plate of food briskly and efficiently, and then walked towards one of the sitting areas scattered throughout the room. His eyes met hers and there was a clear request within them, the same sort of silent message that he had given her so many times when meeting up with her to train. She followed out of habit and soon found herself seated next to him on a very cushy couch, with a little round table holding up the plate of food in front of them.

After a moment of somewhat awkward silence she noted the large amount of food he had piled onto the plate. He never seemed to eat all that much the few times they had eaten together, and so she was a little surprised.

"Hungry?" She asked, her amusement making it easier for her to start up a conversation.

She glanced over and his eyes caught hers, as they always seemed to do, the intensity of his gaze almost inescapable sometimes. His lips twitched, and he replied, "Yes, but I also thought you may be too."

Matsuri blinked, shocked. "You mean…eat off the same plate?"

"Does that bother you?"

"No! Not at all. Thank you." Matsuri couldn't keep the shy grin off her face, actually really delighted by the little gesture. It seemed very friendly, almost intimate in a way, and that really made Matsuri feel exceptionally happy, almost giddy.

Gaara's eyes widened for a second, perhaps surprised by her enthusiasm, and then softened. After that, the awkwardness seemed to ease between them, and a certain comfortable togetherness that she had grown somewhat accustomed to took over. Matsuri had found that she was growing more and more comfortable with Gaara, the longer she was around him. Usually it was just the first few minutes that her shyness made things awkward.

They visited happily for a while, and then towards the end of the night Temari came over and sat down next to Matsuri. Naruto came over shortly after and practically dragged Gaara away to do something or other. At that point Temari grabbed Matsuri and started hauling her somewhere. She was shocked when they left the building and struck off into the night, soon to be joined by Kankuro. Her protests were quickly silenced by Temari and Kankuro telling her that they were planning a special surprise for Gaara and they wanted her help. She agreed, because there was nothing she wouldn't do for Gaara, and they made their way to the Kazekage tower.

 **Naruto POV**

As Naruto grabbed Gaara and dragged him off, he gave Temari the signal, and then Kankuro when he saw him. They whisked Matsuri out of the party and off to the Kazekage tower. Naruto grinned, keeping Gaara busy for a while.

Along with this party, he had devised another plan for Gaara's birthday. He had seen the way Matsuri and Gaara looked at each other, and though he had a tendency to be stupid sometimes, he had a good nose when it came to sniffing out people's emotions.

He had easily recruited Temari and Kankuro, who had also noticed the way their younger brother felt about a certain someone, and Kankuro in particular had really pushed the envelope on the plan, upping it from a simple scheme to a full on kidnapping venture, with high risk of injury if anything went wrong. What they had planned would work, if everything went smoothly, but if Kankuro messed up and Gaara was able to break their carefully laid plans before the desired outcome had been reached, they all knew the young Kazekage was going to be very angry indeed.

But the danger was worth it, because as long as Kankuro did his job right, Matsuri and Gaara wouldn't have a choice, and hopefully they would be so happy by the end of it, the kidnapping wouldn't be held against the three conspirators.

Or that was the plan according to Naruto.

 **Matsuri POV**

Temari, Kankuro, and Matsuri made their way up to the Kazekage quarters, much to Matsuri's shock. As they came up to the door Matsuri dug in her heels and stopped, not wanting to invade Gaara's personal space. But Temari wasn't having any of it though, and grabbed her, pulling her in despite her protests. And then, as Matsuri was dragged into Gaara's living room and then came to a halt, she watched in shock as Kankuro started to put sealing jutsus all over the room. He put them everywhere, in the bedroom, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, in the living room, and Matsuri began to think that this might be something she didn't want to be a part of.

"Um…I don't think…" Was all she was able to get out before Temari hushed her and dragged her into Gaara's bathroom, which Matsuri wasn't at all sure how to feel about. She was also starting to get really sick and tired of Temari man-handling her.

"Don't worry, Gaara's going to love his surprise. Trust me." Temari chirped and Matsuri relaxed a little. That is, until Temari closed the bathroom door and said, "Strip."

"Wh-what?!" Matsuri yelped, backing away.

"You know, take off your clothes. You can leave your underwear on, but take off your shirt and pants and shoes." Temari continued.

"Uh…why?"

"It's part of the present!"

"How is me being naked a present?!" Matsuri squeaked.

"Oh good god, you are so innocent. Just strip already!" Temari barked, obviously losing her patience.

"No!" Matsuri said, quite firmly, finally getting over her shock, somewhat, and starting to get a little mad.

"Yes!" Temari responded and grabbed her, deftly undoing her jacket and having it off her arms before Matsuri knew what had hit her. She yelped and scrambled against Temari, embarrassed, shocked, shy, and furious, all at once.

"Stop that!"

Temari didn't listen, just wrestled her shirt up over her head, nearly choking her to death with the headband tied around her neck, and potentially breaking her nose in the process. Once the shirt, and her headband, was over her head she gasped and wrapped her hands around her throat, flushing and glaring at Temari. There was a reason she had always worn scarves and her headband around her neck, she had a really big nasty scar on her neck from where she had nearly been killed in the attack that had killed her parents. Temari stared at the scar in horror and shock, even Matsuri's hands unable to totally hide the thing. It was strait across her neck, and was wicked looking with jagged edges. Really that had been the thing that had saved her; the blade had been so rough and crude that it hadn't quite managed to break through to her jugular.

Temari got over her surprise, used to seeing scars on her comrades and got back to business. She probably also didn't want to make Matsuri too uncomfortable by making a big deal out of it. As Temari started back on her, yanking at her clothes again and being a general nuisance, Matsuri quickly got over the shock of having her neck bared, and got herself together enough to fight back. When Temari went for her pants she smacked her hands away with a sharp slap to the wrists.

Temari wasn't deterred in the slightest, and came at her again. Matsuri once again smacked at her, and they ended up having a rather violent scuffle over Matsuri's pants button, which Temari eventually won by just yanking the button off entirely. Her zipper met a similar fate, the tag being yanked down so hard eventually that it came right off.

And then Temari tripped her, grabbed her pants and yanked them down to her thighs so she was left writhing around and somewhat tied up by her own pants as she yelled bloody murder. Then, Temari grabbed one of her feet and started yanking off her shoe. Matsuri managed to yank her foot away and kick the loosened shoe off at Temari. Temari, still totally undaunted, despite the scrapes and bruises she was accumulating, grabbed up Matsuri's other foot, and repeated the process. After that, Temari yanked on the bottoms of Matsuri's pants and dragged them off, dragging Matsuri a good ways too as she refused to give them up.

Eventually though, Temari had gotten Matsuri down to her underwear, which was thankfully just a plain white set, and then she darted over to the door and opened it, which sent Matsuri scrambling for cover. She ended up hiding in the tub as Temari tossed Matsuri's clothes out the bathroom door, where Kankuro snatched them up, and then Temari closed the door again.

"Sheesh, why'd you have to make that so difficult?"

"Well, what would you do if someone started undressing you?" Matsuri responded, utterly infuriated.

"True. Here, put this on." Temari tossed Matsuri a red dress.

She grabbed it and held it out to look at. Really it was more of a slip or a nightgown than a dress. It was super simple, just a red satin shift with a little ruffle at the bottom and it had spaghetti straps. Matsuri sighed and put it on, knowing she wasn't going to get her clothes back. She had no idea what these two were up to, but it gave her a really bad feeling that they were forcing her into another set of clothes.

When she stood the red dress only reached her upper-thigh and Matsuri scowled, not liking the amount of exposed leg. Temari beckoned her over and Matsuri grudgingly went, pretty sure there was nothing else Temari could do to her. Temari produced a long white satin ribbon and tied it around Matsuri's waist. Matsuri twisted her head and watched over her shoulder as Temari made a big beautiful bow in the back. Then she produced four red satin ribbons and tied each one to one of Matsuri's wrists and ankles, tying big decorative bows on all of them. She tied another red ribbon around Matsuri's neck, which substantially eased her anxiety about having her scar exposed.

Matsuri was beginning to feel like Temari was trussing her up like a present, and she wasn't at all sure what to think about that, but she was starting to get really, really nervous.

Temari pulled out a tiny scroll and attached it to Matsuri's wrist with the ribbon saying, "Don't open this yet."

Matsui blinked down at the little scroll, not sure what the purpose of it was. "Okaaaay." She mumbled.

Then Temari opened the bathroom door and ushered her out into Gaara's bedroom, which made Matsuri blush when she remembered exactly where she was. Kankuro trotted into the room, looked her up and down, and said, "Very nice Temari, if that doesn't get him…"

Temari hushed him, but Matsuri had heard enough. She made a break for it, but between Temari and Kankuro she was grabbed and they frog marched her over to what looked to be some sort of really huge gift box. They lifted her up and dropped her in. Thankfully the inside was filled with stuffing material and pillows and shit, so it was super comfy, but it was definitely not where she wanted to be.

But before she could orient herself to try and climb back out, the top of the box was being snapped shut and tied.

"Hey! Just what do you think you guys are doing!? Let me out of here! I really hope what I think you're thinking isn't what you're thinking, because if it is, then you're wrong!" Matsuri yelled, banging on the inside of the box.

"Don't worry Matsuri, Gaara will be here soon to let you out." Kankuro called and she heard some supposedly comforting pats land on the top of the box.

"THAT'S WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT!" Matsuri yelled.

They ignored her and she heard them walk off.

Matsuri was stuck. No matter how she tried to break out of the box she just couldn't. It was pretty damn sturdy for a gift box. Eventually she just gave up and lay back in the soft stuffing surrounding her. She groaned and covered her eyes, preparing herself as best she could for the humiliation she knew was coming. All she could figure, was that Kankuro and Temari were playing some sort of stupid prank on their brother, but she really wished they hadn't used her. Although, she wouldn't have wanted them to shove any other somewhat indecently clothed women into Gaara's bedroom either, come to think of it.

As she waited, Matsuri got more and more anxious and embarrassed, shifting restlessly in her little space, which was becoming increasingly stuffy. She didn't have to wait long, and she wasn't sure that made her happy, or really not happy. After just a few minutes she heard the sound of the door opening, and then the sound of Gaara's voice.

 **Gaara POV**

He had no idea why Naruto insisted on walking with him back to his apartment, but he didn't mind. He enjoyed visiting with his friend on the way back, even though Naruto seemed a tad distracted. Although, when they arrived, he sensed people in his apartments and tensed, immediately on guard.

Naruto noticed and slapped a hand on his back saying, "I arranged to have Kankuro and Temari set up a little birthday surprise for you in your room! I hope you don't mind!" His voice was very excited and happy, which immediately put Gaara at ease and spiked his curiosity.

"Oh really?" He said, keeping his voice mild, but unable to entirely keep the intense intrigue out of his tone.

Temari and Kankuro walked out of his room, and he was mildly alarmed by Temari's bedraggled appearance. She had a swollen lip and one of her ponytails was almost entirely undone. She had all kinds of scrapes and bruises along her arms, and frankly she looked like she had been in a fight.

"What happened, Temari?" He asked, immediately concerned.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all. Just got into a little argument. Nothing to worry about." She said dismissively.

He wasn't entirely convinced, but they were all obviously waiting him to go into his apartment to see his surprise, so he stepped into the open doorway, despite the slight sense of foreboding he was starting to get. That instinct was proven right when the doors slammed shut behind him and he whirled around, shocked. He was even more shocked when he felt the distinct feeling of a sealing jutsu being done on the other side of the door, which shone briefly and then went back to normal.

And then he realized that there were sealing jutsus all over the room. The kind that could only be undone by the person who made them. He was good and truly locked into his quarters, and he had no idea why.

He yelled, "What is going on?!" Just a tad irritated now.

"We've arranged for you to have a few days off!" Temari yelled back through the door.

"And you're not getting out of your rooms until you've thoroughly enjoyed your present!" Kankuro added, and then Gaara heard the distinct sound of Temari whapping him upside the head and scolding him.

"Happy Birthday! I'm sure you're really gonna like your present!" Naruto added.

And then he heard them all walk off. He was bemused, but not necessarily opposed to the idea of a few days off. Although, he was a little pissed by the manner in which they had gone about it. He then checked the fridge, and it had been stocked with enough food for several days. After that, he went into his room and noticed the huge box. It was a huge present, all wrapped up with a big bow on top.

He had absolutely no idea how he should react to the thing. It actually made him a little nervous for some reason, probably due to the unusual size, but his curiosity was also peaked. He slowly walked towards it, and gingerly reached out to untie the ribbon on top.

 **Matsuri POV**

Matsuri could hear his footsteps coming closer and closer, and snuggled down into the padding, pulling some of it up over her to try and hide. In fact, she burrowed down as far as she could, and huddled in a ball, doing her very best to try and be invisible. She didn't know what Kankuro and Temari were thinking, making her into some kind of present like this, but she thought it was utterly ridiculous.

She flinched when she heard the box being touched, the unmistakable sound of a ribbon being untied making its way down through the warm stuffy darkness. She shivered and then froze as she felt the box being opened, and some light filtered down through all the padding she had managed to pile on top of her.

"What the…? What is this?" Matsuri heard Gaara murmur.

She felt stuffing being moved around, and then his hand touched her back and they both gasped. He jerked his hand back and Matsuri flinched. After a moment she felt the stuffing being moved around some more, and felt part of her knee and upper thigh be exposed, based on the cooler air. _Well, there's no use hiding now,_ she supposed. If she made him dig her out, he was going to see a lot more of her than she wanted him too, since her dress had hiked up somewhere around her hips.

She shifted, shoved some of the stuffing back over her thigh and sat up. The top of her head poked out, and then slowly rose up until just her eyes were peeking out over the stuffing. She peered out of the stuffing and the box at Gaara, whose eyes were wide and shocked and his mouth was open. Matsuri didn't think she'd ever seen him look quite so shocked. And he was blushing.

She flushed, his blush making her feel very strange inside, kind of warm and gooey.

She poked her hand out, the one with the scroll, and whispered, "I have no idea what's going on. I was just sort of shoved in here with no explanation. But Temari tied this scroll to me and said not to open it, so…maybe it'll tell us something."

His eyes looked down at the hand and he very gently untied the scroll from her wrist, his fingers brushing against her skin as he did so. Matsuri shivered and ducked her head down even more into the stuffing, her face super red now.

She peeked and watched as Gaara read the scroll, his eyes widening impossibly and then narrowing with aggravation and then fury.

He growled. And then rolled it up and handed it back to her. She took it, and supposed that he wanted her to read it. So she did. She sat up a bit so her head poked out from the stuffing entirely now and sat back to read it.

It said:

"Happy Birthday!

We all know how much you love each other and we're sick of your pussyfooting around

So this is your birthday present Gaara

You can't come out until you've admitted your love for each other!"

And then in separate handwriting, that looked suspiciously like Kankuro's it said:

"That means sex!"

Matsuri gaped at it, her eyes wide and glassy, unable to comprehend what it was telling her. _Surely they don't mean…oh hell; this is Naruto and Kankuro we're talking about. Of course they mean it._

And they could do it too. And as the Kazekage's siblings no one would question that Gaara was taking the time off. In fact, if push came to shove, she suspected Kankuro could even make a substitute for Gaara with one of his puppets. She had seen him make a perfect double of himself before, and of other people.

So they could be stuck here for a while.

And then she blushed, harder than she'd ever blushed before. _I'm a virgin goddammit! What the heck?! And what do they know anyways? What makes them think Gaara loves me?_ They had pinned her down pat, but she highly doubted they were right about Gaara. Sure, they had been spending more time together lately, and he had even been training with her relatively regularly. But she was convinced that he only saw her as his student, and maybe his friend. _Maybe._ That was the most she could hope for. And he was so busy, and not exactly talkative, that it was difficult to even determine that much.

Matsuri dropped the paper and sighed, really not sure what to do about it. Eventually she said, very softly, totally embarrassed, and unable to come up with anything better, "I'm sorry. If I had known they were going to try to force me on you, I would have fought them harder."

"Force you on me? I hardly mind that. But I despise the fact that they forced you to be here against your will." Gaara responded, sounding very cranky indeed.

Matsuri blinked, trying to figure out what he meant by that. She supposed that he meant he didn't mind her being here, which made her feel all warm and fuzzy and happy. The fact that he was up in arms over the fact that they had forced her, and not the fact that she was here, helped her to relax some. One of her chief concerns had been that he would be mad at her, or upset at the invasion of his privacy.

"Well, I got Temari a couple of times for it. And I was planning on challenging her to a dual when we get out of here. So don't worry about me." Matsuri grumbled, reminded of just how pissed off she was, at Temari in particular.

Gaara blinked, looking a little surprised, and then chuckled, making her heart pound. "Why Temari exactly?"

"She's the one that forced me into this dress." She grumbled, still really peeved about it.

Gaara sobered up really quickly. "She did what now?" He asked, sounding rather angry again.

"She yanked my clothes off and then gave me this to wear! See?!" Matsuri said and got over her shyness, it wasn't like the dress was exactly indecent or anything, just a lot shorter than she was comfortable with, and she stood with a huff. Her hands first grabbed the edge of the box to pull herself up and then went to her hips in aggravation. She glared down at the dress, which was clinging to her in a way she didn't like, thanks to the stuffing and satin mixture. She was now all staticky, and pinched some of the material between her fingers, pulling it away from her skin with a series of audible pops. She grimaced.

Gaara meanwhile, was staring at her, his lips parted on a gasp, his eyes wide, and a flush starting up on his cheeks. She glanced up to see his utterly shocked expression and naturally misinterpreted it. She blushed and asked timidly, "Wow, does it really look that bad?"

Gaara swiftly shook his head, schooling his features back to normal. "You look lovely." He said, just a tad roughly.

Matsuri blinked, surprised. She wasn't sure whether she believed him, but the complement still had her blushing like mad.

Then she awkwardly attempted to get out of the box, putting her hands on the side and pushing up, but it was a little too tall, and she'd have to hike up a leg to clamber out. Suddenly a gentle band of sand snaked around her waist and she gasped, shocked. She had never come into direct contact with Gaara's infamous sand before, but it didn't frighten her in the least. If anything she found herself blushing, again.

She was delicately lifted out of the box, her skirt riding up as the sand took her weight over the slick material. She was set down on her feet on the ground and she quickly tugged her skirt back down to her thighs. It crackled and popped with static electricity against her skin.

"Thank you, Lord Gaara." She murmured.

He rumbled. "Even in my bedroom you call me 'Lord Gaara'?" He asked, sounding exasperated.

She gasped and her eyes flew up to meet his. The way he had worded that was so suggestive, even though she knew he didn't mean it that way, and she flushed bright red. "It's a habit!" She squeaked.

"Habits can be broken." He said, his voice a little too deep and his eyes narrowing.

"Um…y-yes. I suppose so." She stuttered.

His eyes tightened, just a little. "Do I frighten you?"

She blinked. "No." She answered honestly. She wasn't afraid of him, she was just really shy and embarrassed by the situation. And she was usually shy around him due to her feelings.

"Then why do you always act so timid and afraid around me?" He asked, sounding as if he didn't entirely believe her.

"I-I…I'm not afraid of you, Lor…" She stopped herself before she said 'Lord Gaara' at the sharp look he gave her. "Ehm. Gaa-ra." She tripped over the middle part of his name, but otherwise she was pretty proud of herself for saying it. But it was as she'd feared, it felt way too intimate coming out of her mouth without the honorific, and she had felt the way it changed the way she said it. It had definitely rolled off her tongue in a different way and sounded softer, even despite the choking up in the middle. She flushed, her eyes darting off to the side, missing his eyes widening and the flush that pinkened his cheeks.

She cleared her throat and attempted to finish her sentence. "I'm just shy. That's all." She managed to mumble, blushing at the admission. She brought a hand up to her cheek and felt the heat radiating. She sighed, really tired of blushing all the time. Her shyness and easy blushes drove her nuts. "See? Now I'm blushing." She grumbled a little, aware that she was pouting and unable to stop it.

Gaara chuckled, which drew her gaze back to him in surprise. "I like it when you blush." He murmured.

She gaped at him, and of course, blushed. She had absolutely nothing to say to that, and had no idea why he would even say it in the first place. All she could come up with after a few minutes was, "Buh-why?"

He shrugged, chuckling yet again at her garbled response, and said, "It's cute."

She turned bright tomato red and she squeaked, "Eh?!" totally not expecting that.

His eyes glittered with mirth as he took in her beyond pink face, and the way it was slowly crawling down her neck.

After a few awkward moments, for Matsuri at least, she shuffled back and forth, deciding that there wasn't anything more to say about that, and determined to change the subject. "…uh…so…what now?" She said, her voice a little unsteady, but impressively clear, considering how she wanted to mumble and whisper.

Gaara blinked, and then sighed, his eyes shifting to the side for a moment as he thought about it. "I suppose that depends."

"On?" Matsuri prompted him after a lengthy pause.

"On how we feel about each other." He said matter-of-factly.

"Oh? How so?" She managed weakly, after she got over her shock.

"If we do in fact feel romantically towards each other, as they suggested in that note, then we could pursue one course of action. If…that is not the case, then we could do something else."

She gaped at him, her mind all confused and jumbled up and making no sense whatsoever, because the way he worded it, it sounded like he might also have feelings for her. This was such a delicate situation, if she was wrong, she could potentially jeopardize their previous teacher/student bond, and their current relationship, which she had hoped was turning into a friendship.

 _But…he said '_ _ **if we love each other**_ _,' and that means that he thinks that's a possibility, and he knows how he feels, he just doesn't know how I feel, so for him to think it's a possibility means that his part of the equation has to be fulfilled, which means he loves me, right?_ Matsuri's head started to hurt.

It didn't help that he was watching her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.

"W-well…if we did…have uh… _feelings_ …for each other, how would we know? I mean, if…a person has feelings for someone else, they won't necessarily want to say anything for fear of being rejected." She finally managed to stutter, her face flushing as was usual.

"We would simply have to tell each other." He stated, once again in his matter-of-fact way.

"B-but…"

He heaved a sigh. "Matsuri, if all you feel for me is friendship, please tell me."

"I-I…uh…" She swallowed thickly, and then managed to whisper very softly, "N-no. Not just…friendship." Her face was bright red and she was having a very difficult time meeting his eyes.

She heard him exhale loudly, and she flinched, unsure if it was out of relief or aggravation, until he said, "Thank god for that."

She gasped and her eyes flew to his, hoping that meant that he also felt something for her. "Does that mean…?"

He blinked at her, his eyes shining, and then he took the two big steps necessary to close the distance between them. Matsuri yelped, surprised by the sudden move, and then jumped when his hand was suddenly on her face, cupping the side of her cheek.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you…" He whispered, his face and body closer to her than it had ever been before. Their noses were almost brushing against each other now, and she stared wide-eyed up into his pale eyes, which were even more beautiful up close like this.

"I…uh…no problem." She managed to squeak.

She was hyperventilating and there wasn't anything she could do about it. Her mind had gone numb with shock, her lungs felt like they were on fire, her heart was pounding like a wild animal was stuck in her chest, and her whole body felt feverish. She was intensely excited, unbelievably surprised, completely in love, nervous as hell, and simply didn't know what to do with herself. So she just stood there, trembling, his hand cupping her cheek and his nose brushing hers, as she stared up into his eyes feeling like she was caught in his gaze just as securely as a piece of metal caught by a magnet.

He nuzzled his nose against hers and she blinked, shivering at just that tiny touch. She was unable to return the caress, simply because she was stiff with shock.

And then he whispered, "May I kiss you?" and Matsuri's eyes widened.

She managed a tiny nod, her heart thundering in her ears, and Gaara closed the distance between them. Even though she expected it, she gasped when she felt his lips brush against hers, so lightly that she barely felt them at all. He pulled away, barely a hairsbreadth and then groaned and pressed his lips to hers again, this time a little more firmly.

Her eyes fluttered closed, her brain stopping all higher function and just focusing on sensation, as his lips very tentatively moved against hers. It took her a few seconds to get up the courage to respond, to also move her lips and kiss him back. But when she did, she was rewarded by a tiny sound from Gaara's throat and by his lips becoming a little more active. It was a little awkward, neither of them knew what to do exactly, and Matsuri found herself amazingly aware of all the tiny little muscles in her lips, and just how many subtle ways she could move them. It was like speaking almost, like they were whispering into each other's mouths, minus the whispering.

It started out innocently, almost fumbling just a little, their lips brushing against each other and then pulling apart, lingering longer each time their lips touched, and Matsuri was amazed by how soft it felt to have another pair of lips on hers. But the longer their lips were in contact, the more contact she seemed to want, the teasing, gentle brushes not quite enough anymore. And it seemed that Gaara was experiencing something similar, judging by the way he wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

Matsuri found herself wrapping one of her arms around his neck, without any real conscious decision to do so, her other hand touched his side, under the arm that was still raised for his hand to cup her cheek. His arm pulled her flush up against his body and she squeaked into the kiss, flushing. His lips pressed to hers more insistently now, and she found herself panting, and quickly discovered she needed to breathe through her nose while kissing, otherwise she would pass out. Even so, some of their panted breaths mingled inside their mouths, passing between their lips and making the kiss more humid.

The longer they kissed, the wider the range of motions their lips performed, and she found her lips parting more and more against his, the damp inner parts of their lips coming into contact and making the kiss decidedly more moist. Matsuri felt feverish, her body so warm now that she shivered, and she panted, running out of air in her excitement.

 **Gaara POV**

He was starting to lose control, and that was not a good thing. To finally have her in his arms, her body pressed up against his, it was doing things to him that was making rational thought rather tedious and difficult. He had wanted this for a long time now, long enough that the actuality of it was making him giddy and dizzy.

Matsuri and he had formed a rather special bond right away, as student and teacher, compounded by the fact that she was the first person, outside of his own family, to accept him without reservation. At her first decisive request to "please teach me," he had become mildly obsessed with her. Although he had kept his distance, and kept their relationship to strictly student and teacher during that time, he slowly grew more and more attached to her, emotionally, and though at first he didn't recognize the warmth growing in his chest, or the way he wanted to be around her more and more, the feelings continued to grow.

When she had finally become a full-fledged ninja of the Sand, he had relaxed his boundaries some, finally feeling that he could pursue something more than just a working relationship with her. He hadn't known exactly what it was that he wanted to pursue, in terms of a relationship, or even how to go about cultivating something of that nature, so he had settled for simply continuing their training sessions, while at the same time attempting to increase their contact beyond that. He had been able to visit with her often outside of the field by seeking her out on a regular basis, and it had seemed that her shyness slowly changed as she grew more and more comfortable with him.

That had all stopped when he became Kazekage, as his workload was immediately insane and he spent all waking hours of the day, all 24 of them, in his office, sorting through the mess the council had left him to deal with. It took months of hard work, but eventually he had gotten to the point that he could once again pursue Matsuri. During those months of hard work he had missed her desperately, missed their training sessions, and missed the easy way they had grown to relate to one another, missed seeing her and talking to her, and just being with her. And so, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he immediately began to seek her out again, on both the training fields and in more friendly environments. He had done his very best to help her to be comfortable with him again, since the separation and his new title seemed to have scared her off somewhat, and after a while it had felt like they had grown closer, even meeting for lunch or dinner now and again.

And the more time he spent with her, the more he had realized that his feelings had deepened into something new, something he hadn't really ever felt before, or had a name for. He only knew that she was precious to him, and that he wanted to be with her as much as possible. It had taken a while for him to realize the truth…that he had fallen in love with her.

Apparently his feelings had been more obvious to his friend Naruto and his siblings than they were to himself, for them to have set this whole thing up. He was still a tad pissed at them for forcing Matsuri into such an uncomfortable situation, but overall, he was growing to appreciate the plan more and more, especially now that she was in his arms, kissing him with an enthusiasm that had his head spinning and other body parts doing things they really shouldn't be doing at the moment. It was making it very difficult for him to stop, and he knew that he _had to_ stop, because they needed to discuss their situation. He highly doubted Matsuri was ready, right off the cuff like this, to go to bed with him, as that scroll had demanded they do. He honestly didn't know what her feelings were exactly, other than she liked him as more than a friend, and apparently really loved his kisses.

So he forced himself to pull his lips from hers, even though that was the last thing he really wanted to do at the moment.

 **Matsuri POV**

After a long moment, in which time ceased to matter or even exist, Gaara pulled back a tad, ending the kiss, and she was left breathing heavily, flushed, and rather excited in ways she wasn't sure she was completely comfortable with. She opened her eyes, confused why he had stopped, and was immediately ensnared by his intense gaze, the normally almost invisible pupils huge and dark in his pale eyes.

She blinked, licked her still tingly lips, and stared up at him questioningly, unable to really get words to her mouth since her brain hadn't kicked back into gear yet.

Gaara sighed and said, his voice a bit more gravelly than usual and pitched lower, "We should discuss our situation before we…continue."

Matsuri flushed at the implied suggestion, realizing that if he hadn't stopped, she wasn't entirely sure she would have either, although she supposed that certain things probably would have snapped her out of the passionate daze she had sunk into. She cleared her throat and managed, "…uh…right. Good idea."

He released her and stepped back, but reached out to lightly touch her hand, almost as if he was asking to hold her hand. She flipped her palm over and let him link his fingers through hers, and he gently led her out of his bedroom, which was probably a good idea, and sat down on the couch, tugging at her hand to suggest she sit next to him.

He turned his body to face her, and she did the same, as he started the conversation. "As far as I can tell, we are stuck here. The jutsus that Kankuro placed around the rooms can't be undone, by anyone but him."

"So that means that we can't leave until he feels like letting us out."

"Exactly."

Matsuri sighed and glanced at the door, slightly irritated by the bossy way Kankuro had gone about this, whatever _this_ was. It was at that point that she noticed a piece of paper that had been shoved under the door that certainly hadn't been there previously. She blinked, got up off the couch, walked over to the door, and bent, very carefully, to pick it up and bring it back to the couch.

"I think someone shoved this under your door. Maybe it has to do with the prank Temari, Kankuro, and Naruto pulled." She said while handing it to Gaara.

He unfolded it and glanced over the contents, his non-brows crunching up a bit on his forehead. "It says that…well, perhaps you should read it yourself." He grimaced and handed it to her.

She grabbed it gingerly, remembering the contents of the last piece of paper he had handed to her, and took a look somewhat hesitantly. It said:

"Oh and by the way, there's a jutsu on the bed that will unlock the sealing jutsu on the door when you guys finally do it. That's the only way you're getting out of there. Have fun!"

Matsuri blinked, re-read it, and then blinked again. Her face flushed ten shades of progressively hotter red, so that by the third read, she was a fiery tomato. "C-can he do that? Is that even possible?" She sputtered, shocked by the jutsu that was described.

Gaara shrugged. "I've heard of jutsu like it before, but never used in this particular context."

"Oh dear." Matsuri murmured weakly, seeing no way out besides the obvious.

"Hm." Gaara made that particular small huff/hum that he often used instead of speech.

"So what do we do?" Matsuri asked, feeling super overwhelmed.

"I'm not going to force you, no matter what that or the scroll says. It's your decision what we do. If you don't want to…go to bed with me, then we could try outwaiting them. Knowing Kankuro, he'll probably lose patience relatively quickly." Gaara rumbled.

She blinked, realizing that he had essentially said that he was fine with having sex. She flushed at the thought. Of course, she wasn't necessarily opposed to the idea herself, it was just very overwhelming and made her extremely shy and embarrassed and nervous to think about it. Her feelings for him were so intense, and had been that way for so long, that the notion that he was okay with being with her, in that way, made her feel all feverish again. She very much wanted that, had fantasized about it countless times at night while she touched herself, which was something she would never own up to of course, but still, now that it was a distinct possibility she found her body heating up and getting aroused. That only made her situation more uncomfortable though, because now she had to deal with a distinct sensation of warmth and wetness that made her feel like she needed a change of underwear.

She shifted, still thinking about it. Yes, she definitely wanted to have sex with him. But on the other hand, she loved him, so of course she wanted to have sex, yet she still didn't know how he felt, aside from apparently he liked her, and had wanted to kiss her, and was okay with the idea of having sex. Perhaps she was overthinking things, but she simply wasn't comfortable with the idea of just having sex without knowing that he at least cared for her. And then there was the other complication, the fact that she was a virgin, and a blushing virgin at that. Her shy factor in this area was through the roof, and the idea of everything that went into having sex, getting naked, touching, pleasure, and him being _inside_ her, overwhelmed her just to think about. She honestly didn't know if she could go through with it, no matter how much she wanted to, her shyness and embarrassment was crippling.

Eventually, after a few minutes of thinking about it, she realized that Gaara was still patiently waiting for an answer. She licked her lips, cleared her throat, accomplished blushing preemptively, and said, "It's a little sudden, and overwhelming. I need more time to think about it."

Gaara nodded, seeming perfectly fine with her answer. "We have plenty of time."

"Oh good." Matsuri sighed, relieved. And then after a moments pause, she added, "So now what?"

Gaara shrugged. "I don't know."

Matsuri gasped, finally comfortable enough now to tease him a little. "The great Lord Kazekage doesn't know what to do?!"

He blinked, surprised by her joke. She had teased him before, when they were comfortable like this, but it hadn't happened that often, and she was rather surprised herself, given just how shy she was a while ago. But she supposed that the intensity of everything, and the fact that they had had to just discuss sex, had actually put everything else into perspective. And now that she didn't feel pressured about it, she actually felt quite relaxed.

His lips twitched and he replied, "This isn't in my job description."

She giggled, amused and delighted that he was playing along. "So being locked in your apartment doesn't happen a lot as Kazekage?"

He said very simply, "No."

They chatted lightly for a while, enjoying each other's company. Matsuri shifted, and the damn dress crackled and popped with static electricity, but overall it was rather comfortable. She relaxed back into the couch, tilting her head to rest against the back, and looked up at the ceiling.

After a few moments of silence, in which Matsuri thought about their predicament, she said softly, "Do you think they got it right?"

"Hm?"

"The note. It said, ' _we know how much you love each other_.'"

There was a long pause. "That depends on you."

Matsuri sucked in her breath. He hadn't said it word for word, but he had basically admitted that they got him right, if it depended on her. _Which means…he does love me._ She swallowed the lump in her throat, finding it really difficult to believe. He'd never really given any indication that he felt anything for her. Although, if she thought about it, he always seemed to be exceptionally happy in his quiet Gaara way when he saw her, and he had been seeking her out more and more lately. And his eyes always seemed just a little softer when they looked at her, but she had always written that off as affection for his student or something. _But maybe…_

She sucked in a deep breath, her heart beginning to pound. The only way to resolve this, once and for all, was for one of them to go ahead and just say it, point blank. He hadn't said it, but he might as well have. She flushed, trying to get her courage up to tell him her feelings, but her shyness and the nerves running through her body were making it difficult.

She cleared her throat, and managed to murmur very softly, "I…I do…I mean…yes. I do…love you." And then she bit her lips, her cheeks heating up in an intense blush. Her heart was pounding like mad at the admission, and she waited with baited breath for his response.

He sucked in his breath and she felt him jerk and sit ramrod straight beside her. She tilted her head to the side, just enough to peek at him from beneath her lashes to determine if he was mad or upset, or anything like that. What she saw had her head popping off the back of the couch, her eyes wide.

He was wide-eyed, and blinking fast and more often than she thought she'd ever seen him blink in a whole day. After a moment his blinking calmed down some, and moisture gathered in his eyes. She was completely and utterly shocked when a few tears slid down his cheeks. It was at that moment that she realized this might be the first time anyone had actually said the words, _'I love you'_ to him. She knew that his siblings loved him, that was obvious, but she highly doubted that they ever actually said it. And with his history, and the meaning of the scar above his left eye, it made sense why he was having such a strong reaction to the words. He had told her briefly about his uncle and how he had been told to love only himself when she first became his student and he was explaining why he used his weapons to protect people. That was after she had shared her own painful past with him, how her parents had been killed right in front of her.

His hand rose and cupped her cheek, and she could feel his palm trembling, just a little, as he sucked in his breath and blinked. His eyes were so soft, so devastatingly tender, that she found herself mesmerized, lost within the pale turquoise depths. He leaned forward, and touched his forehead to hers, a shuddering sigh coming from his deep within his chest.

She pulled away a little bit and tilted her head up to kiss him on the forehead, right over his scar, and his breath stuttered a second. His other hand came up and cupped her other cheek, bracketing her face now as he pulled back and looked her in the eye, his eyes intense as he searched hers. His gaze was intense, and yet gentle, and sweet, and conveyed the emotion she had just voiced, so clearly that he didn't need to say the words.

Even so, any lingering doubt was laid to rest as he said very clearly, "And I love you Matsuri, so very, very much."

It was her turn to gasp, and her cheeks flooded with warmth, this time more from pleasure than embarrassment. Heat bloomed in her chest, and it felt like her heart was pumping fire through her veins instead of blood. The love she felt for him in that moment burned so brightly within her that it very nearly hurt, her chest aching with fullness. She shivered, and then her lips molded to his as he brought his mouth down on hers.

This kiss was so full of their emotions, the gentleness and care with which he moved his lips against hers, easily saying how much he loved her without a word being whispered. And her lips responded to his, matching the luxurious strokes and delicate movements of the slow tender kiss, everything about it unhurried and meant to convey all their emotions strait from one mouth to another.

The kiss gradually deepened, as their lips parted more and more against each other, fitting together better and able to use a wider range of motions. As it grew wetter, it grew hotter and more arousing, the tenderness giving way for mounting need. The gentle love from before changed into the more urgent side of love and passion. And as their passion increased, the urgency of the kiss intensified.

At the first touch of his tongue to her lips she jumped, not expecting it and not entirely sure why it had happened in the first place. The kiss stalled for a moment, as his tongue glided along her bottom lip and along the seam of her lips, almost as if he was seeking entry. That seemed a little gross to Matsuri, but she faintly remembered something one of her girlfriends had said, about some sort of kissing involving tongues, so she supposed that Gaara was trying to initiate that kind of kissing. It frankly seemed a little unsanitary to her, but she decided to give it a try.

She very hesitantly parted her lips, just a little to see if that was what he wanted, and his lips pressed more snugly to hers as the tip of his tongue took advantage of the small opening. Encouraged by his response she parted her lips a little more, and that allowed his tongue to slide fully into her mouth. She didn't really know what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't that, and a tiny muffled yelp came from her throat. What was really shocking was the way his tongue sought out hers, stroking against it with an exceptionally surprising silky press of his tongue. It was slippery, and little bit gross at first, but that was almost immediately forgotten when the heat and wetness of the kiss, and the smooth glide of his tongue against hers became more pleasurable than icky.

His tongue withdrew, his lips moving against hers again, and then his tongue joined in the rhythm of the kiss, sliding in and out of her mouth in conjunction with his lips gliding moving against her, and the movement of his tongue was so suggestive of something else that it made her flush all the way down her neck. After a few passes, she regained some sense and resolved to respond. The next time his tongue stroked into her mouth she actively met it with her own, and that opened up a whole new world of kissing possibilities, and soon their mouths were moving against each other almost feverishly, their tongues engaged in a dance along with the sensation of lips against lips, and the kiss turned into a brand new language.

This level of intensity in their kiss soon had Matsuri much too excited, and she pressed closer to him, rising up onto her knees on the couch. Gaara's hands left her face and grabbed her hips instead, making Matsuri gasp against his mouth as he lifted her and brought her into his lap. Her knees took her weight where they rested on either side of him now, and she sat on his thighs. Their lips sealed back together, and Matsuri's hands buried themselves in his hair. They kissed for another long moment and then Gaara moved forward on the couch, sitting on the edge now, in a move that had their teeth clacking together.

His hands tightened on her hips and pulled her forward, until she was snug against him. She gasped, her thighs tightening on his hips as a certain part of her came into contact with a certain, very hard, part of him. All she had on to cover the junction of her thighs was a pair of underwear, so she could very distinctly feel the rather stiff fabric of his pants, and she could feel his even stiffer coat against her thighs and knees. But the fabric wasn't really what she was paying attention to; it was the bulge underneath it that had her freezing in place, a surprised sound coming out of her throat a bit loudly.

She flushed, shocked by the moan that had been pulled out of her without her permission, and tried to pull back. All she managed to do was dislodge his lips, and they moved down her neck instead, kissing and sucking and occasionally nibbling and licking against the sensitive skin there. When he got to the ribbon he gripped the end with his teeth and pulled, the bow coming undone, and then he delicately bit another portion, pulling it off her. She let him, even though it made her a little shy and feel very self-conscious.

When the ribbon came off and her scar was exposed, he drew back a second, his wide eyes taking it in. It was pretty self-explanatory, obviously she had had an attempt at her life, with a very crude sword of some sort. And he stared at it for a long moment, his eyes growing hard and pained.

"Is whoever made this still alive?" He asked, a particularly dark sounding growl in his voice.

Matsuri blinked, collecting her thoughts enough to murmur, "I would imagine so."

He snarled, "Not for much longer he isn't…" and his lips pressed right over her scar. In contrast to the fiercely spoken threat, his lips were devastatingly gentle against the painful reminder.

She gasped, both at the words and the sensation of him kissing her there, and she trembled as he pressed his lips to her, mapping out her entire scar with a tenderness that showed just how grateful he was that she had survived. Then his lips dipped lower and his hands slid upwards at the same time, and she jerked as his hands slid up underneath her dress now, stroking the bare skin of her waist. His kisses landed on her collarbone and she jumped when he nipped her sharply there and then sucked to leave a mark. A small sound was drawn from her, which once naturally made her blush brilliantly, and so he did it again.

This was quickly going in the direction it needed to go to free them from the room, but she still wasn't quite ready for that yet. She needed just a little more time to acclimate herself to the idea, since it was still such a new and foreign a concept. She would imagine that she might be ready within the next day or so, but not just yet.

She shivered and tugged on his hair to get his attention. His head came up and his eyes met hers questioningly. She swallowed and said, a bit huskily, "I'm not quite ready to…go all the way yet. Which is where this seems to be going. I just need a little more time to adjust to the idea, I mean, this has all been so sudden…I'll probably be ready in a day or two…but…"

Gaara's eyes lit up, apparently he had thought she might not want to do that at all, and he nodded, his lips going right back to her throat.

She huffed and then sighed and then groaned, "Gaara…?! What are you doing?"

"Can I still kiss you?" He asked, his words somewhat muffled against the skin of her shoulder.

She shivered as his tongue licked her there. "W-well, yes…but…won't that make it more difficult to stop?"

"Perhaps." He mumbled into the dip at the base of her throat.

He did withdraw his hands from beneath her dress though, and repositioned them over the satin, but then his hands slid down and over her thighs, stroking her there. Which wasn't helping her to calm down at all. At this point she was sure she had probably soaked through her underwear and was going to leave an embarrassing wet spot on his pants, but she kind of didn't care at the moment.

After a good thirty more minutes of him kissing her neck and shoulders and upper chest and then going back to her lips, and of his stroking her thighs and her arms and her back and sides over her dress, she was squirming on his lap and having a very difficult time remembering why she had said no to anything more than that. Eventually he sighed, and stopped kissing her, just wrapping his arms around her and hugging her to him. She went with it, leaning her head against his shoulder and catching her breath. After a while she calmed a little and enjoyed just cuddling with him like this.

 _Later that night_

After snuggling for a while and then visiting, they ate some of the food that had been thoughtfully stocked in the fridge for them, and then visited some more. It had already been evening when Matsuri had made her way to the Kazekage tower with Gaara's siblings. So by this point, it was late at night, and Matsuri began to feel the weight of exhaustion pulling at her eyelids and she started to yawn.

Gaara chuckled after the tenth time she yawned within five minutes and he said, "You should go to bed, it's late."

She blinked, "Okay." And then she yawned again. She chuckled and continued, "I guess I am pretty tired. I'll bunk on the couch."

"You take the bed. I don't need it. After all, I don't sleep." Gaara murmured.

"Oh. Uh…" She glanced towards the huge bed from where she could see it through the doorway to his bedroom. She didn't feel comfortable taking over his bed, and it was a massive bed, so maybe they could both use it. She flushed, thinking about it. Considering the fact that they would probably be doing stuff on that bed within the next day or so, it seemed silly to be shy about just sleeping with him.

"W-well, it's kind of a big bed…" Matsuri started, her face flushing bright red. "So…if you wanted to…you know…uh…well…" She trailed of her face super-hot.

Gaara blinked, looking a little shocked, his eyes widening just a smidge and glittering with excitement. "Are you suggesting that we share the bed?" He clarified mildly, in a carefully moderate tone so as not to scare her probably.

She nodded, glancing away and blushing even hotter.

"Certainly. If you're comfortable with that, then I would very much like to sleep with you." Gaara rumbled.

Matsuri was still blushing, of course, and she fanned her face with her hand to try and take away some of the heat. She did her best to ignore it though and turned to him, smiling happily, even despite her shyness. She may be shy and embarrassed, but she was still ecstatic and giddy about everything, finally being with Gaara made her feel like she was in a dream.

After a few awkward moments they made their way into the bedroom. Matsuri went into the bathroom and hesitantly used Gaara's toothbrush in her night routine. After she was done getting ready for bed she scooted back out into the bedroom, and switched places with Gaara who then disappeared into the bathroom to do his nightly routine. She approached his bed, biting her lips and blushing as she tried not to overthink things.

 _We're just going to sleep dammit! This is silly!_ She grumbled to herself, realizing she was being utterly ridiculous, and just forced herself to get on the bed. She slid under the covers and snuggled down, slowly relaxing into the luxurious mattress. As Kazekage he sure had things nice, his bed was fantastic. She sighed, immediately starting to get sleepy, which wasn't surprising since she had already been practically falling asleep earlier.

She heard the bathroom door open and shut and then felt the bed bounce a little as Gaara got on, and she woke up again, tensing with slight nerves. She felt him lean over her, then felt the soft sensation of his lips gently kissing her behind her ear, and she shivered.

And then he paused, "Are you still wearing those ribbons?"

"Huh?" Matsuri looked down at the wrist that was near her face, and sure enough it was still all fancy with the ribbon and the surprisingly intact bow. "Oh, yeah, I guess so." She murmured and started to untie it.

He stopped her and asked, "May I do it?"

"Uh…sure?" She blinked, a little nonplused.

He gently put his hand on her shoulder and tugged, suggesting that she roll over. She acquiesced to his request and rolled over for him, noticing once she got a look at him, that he seemed to have changed into a pair of red pajama bottoms and a black t-shirt. He gently grabbed her wrist and untied that ribbon, and then switched to her other hand to repeat the gesture. Then she sat up and he untied the ribbon behind her back, after which he pushed the covers down to get to her ankles. Once he got all the ribbons off her, she pulled the covers back up and lay back down on her back, but noticed that he lay down on top of the covers beside her.

She was somewhat confused by Gaara staying on top of the covers and asked, "Don't you usually sleep under the covers? Or do you always sleep on top?"

He blinked at her bemusedly. "I've done both, but I thought this might be more comfortable for you."

"Oh." She thought about it for a moment and drowsily concluded, "It doesn't really bother me. If you want to get under the covers that's fine." She was too tired to blush, or really consider what it was she was suggesting.

She rolled over onto her side as Gaara promptly took her up on her offer and slid under the covers, and Matsuri realized that maybe she had made a rash decision. Under the covers, her dress turned nightgown had ridden up to her waist, and so she felt his pajama clad legs meet the skin of her entirely bare legs as he scooted up behind her. She was on her side, facing away from him, and he curled his body around hers and wrapped his arm over her waist as the lights went out.

Matsuri jumped at the abrupt darkness, not at all sure how it had happened. "Wha…?" She squeaked, startled.

"My sand." She heard Gaara say, and it took her a moment to realize he was answering her question, and that he had turned off the light with his sand.

"Oh." She murmured, and slowly relaxed, though his body right behind hers took some getting used to. His body heat was intense, and she had to wonder if that was from being a Jinchuriki. But the heat felt wonderful, and soon that warmth lulled her into slumber, her muscles relaxing and her body softening and curling even more into his as his arm wrapped around her.

She sighed contentedly and drifted off into peaceful dreams.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So yes, I know this was a few days late, but I only found out about his birthday the day before. I'm planning on writing a second chapter with a full-on lemon, if anyone's interested. :3

And a huge thanks to my wonderful proof-reader Socrates-Symchych. You rock.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

Hello everyone! I just wanted to say that I'm sorry it took me so long to finish this. I've been so wrapped up in my other stories, that this one took a back burner. :( But I was shocked and amazed by how positive the response was! Thank you everyone for reviewing! It really pushed me to go ahead and get it finished. I hope this finishing chapter lives up to everyone's expectations. :D

Also, if anyone has any ideas on what my next one-shot should be about, let me know in the comments. ;)

Anyways, on to the chapter!

* * *

The next morning, Matsuri woke to the sensation of feather light kisses on the back of her neck. She instantly stiffened and sucked in a deep breath, momentarily disoriented and wondering what was going on. Her concerns were eased though, when a deep gravelly voice behind her murmured, "Good morning."

The sound of Gaara's voice helped to remind her what all had happened last night. Everything came back in a rush: the birthday party, being abducted, and finally ending up with Gaara. It all seemed so improbable in the light of morning looking back at it, that she would have had a hard time believing it, if she hadn't woken to the feel of his lips on her skin. However, morning also seemed to have rekindled her bashfulness to a certain degree.

Awakened even more fully by the blush now warming her cheeks, she cleared her throat and managed a sleep-roughened, "Mm-hm. And you?"

"I don't normally sleep, however I think I might have a little last night. I certainly feel more rested than usual."

"That's wonderful to hear." She said earnestly with a smile and turn to sit up a little in bed.

The covers fell into her lap as she sat up and stretched, her shoulder cracking a little from where it was tight. Before the birthday party yesterday, she had done some intense training with her rope javelin, so a familiar soreness had set in the morning after. She rolled that shoulder a few times to get it to loosen up as she pushed her short brown hair out of her eyes. Then her eyes happened to glance down, at a slight breeziness she wasn't accustomed to, and noted with some horror that the nightgown/dress she had worn before was now a little whopper-jawed, and was nearly about to expose her chest in a way she wasn't quite ready for yet. Certainly not first thing in the morning. So with a very tiny yelp and vivid blush, she rearranged it with a clumsy but very firm jerk.

Thankfully it seemed Gaara had either not noticed the incident – which was highly unlikely – or else let it slide by without comment. That was one thing that made being with him easy, she had noted. His lack of speech often came in handy when she had one of her frequent mishaps. Being so easily embarrassed, she was used to people teasing her all the time for either tripping over herself or performing other acts of clumsiness, but of course Gaara never commented.

So, once everything was arranged properly once again, she cleared her throat and decided to pretend it hadn't happened. To distract herself, she pushed her fingers into the tangled mop of hair on her head while looking around the room more thoroughly, since she really hadn't allowed herself the time to closely appraise this particular room. She'd of course looked around his living room since that was where they had spent most of their time last night. So, it wasn't overly surprising to note that – like the rest of his abode – he hadn't decorated all that much, and there weren't the normal sentimental knickknacks set on horizontal surfaces. No pictures, or trophies, or keepsakes of any kind really. Without the usual clutter, she found his room clean and airy.

Soon though she was forced to allocate more attention to her bed-head, because somehow she had managed to tangle it up even more than usual. She wasn't sure if it was just her particular hair type, or if she tossed her head around a lot at night, but she always seemed to wake up with a rat's nest. It was actually embarrassing to have someone witness her morning problem, especially since that someone was Gaara.

Thankfully it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. When she risked a peek in his direction, he wasn't looking at her with any sort of distaste. If anything he seemed amused.

After a moment, he sat up next to her and gently took over by catching her hands and lowering them before running his own fingers through her hair. A moment later there was a little whoosh of sand and suddenly it felt like he had a comb in one hand. Perhaps that explained the lack of some normal items, such as a comb, that could take up space. He simply made them with sand whenever he needed them and then dispersed them back to his gourd. How convenient.

Of course having him comb her hair made her blush a little in embarrassment, as usual, but she tried to ignore both the feeling and the resulting heat. Mostly she was just very grateful - and of course giddy and happy - for him to be touching her and showing any sort of affection.

Clearing her throat again of any sleepy cobwebs hanging around, she tried for conversation, figuring it might help to dispel some of the discomfort.

"For being so short, I don't know how it gets so tangled up. It's one of the reasons why I keep it that length. I always figured if it was any longer I wouldn't be able to detangle it."

There was a long pause, broken only by his typical, "hm" sound. And then to her surprise, he offered, "If you would like it longer, I don't mind combing it."

She found herself blinking rapidly, her mouth opening in shock, and a flush painting her face for the millionth time. That was utterly unexpected, but he truly didn't seem to mind. When she glanced over her shoulder at him his eyes were happy and content while his fingers and comb continued to quickly and efficiently work through the tangles. Maybe it was because he had a better angle or view point to get at her hair, or maybe he had missed a calling as a hair stylist, because he seemed to have it all set to rights within a few minutes unlike the nearly half hour it took her to wrangle it back under control. Of course the idea of him as a hair dresser was so amusing that she nearly laughed, but self-consciously choked it back with a little cough.

It would be nice to have him comb her hair in this manner… very nice in fact because it had felt lovely. He'd been very gentle – in direct comparison to her roughly yanking at the strands in frustration – and the light tugs had almost been ticklish. It had actually felt very good, and for the first time she got an idea of why pets liked being groomed by their humans - it was very soothing while also stimulating her scalp in a pleasant way.

She almost gave his offer some serious thought, but as soon as she started considering it she realized the obvious, glaring problem with it. Her hair was like this every morning, and the offer to comb it for her wouldn't work… unless he was present every morning for the event.

"Um. Thank you. I'd like that a lot but…it's like this every morning."

He just stared at her with those calm eyes of hers, as if to say, _'yes, and your point is?'_

"I'd still have to wrestle with it on mornings that we don't…" She stalled out before saying, ' _wake up together_ ' because it seemed sort of like a presumption – and of course she blushed.

Yes, they had both confessed to each other last night, and had even talked about having sex, but that was under the conditions of this jutsu they were stuck in. She wasn't sure how often he would want to…do that after this whole thing was over.

Assumedly he would want to, just as she knew she would, but there were all sorts of things to consider, such as his job as Kazekage and how busy he was. Not to mention, she had no idea how much of a sex drive he had – a though which only made her flush a little warmer. If they entered into a relationship, which seemed to be the way this was heading, how often would he want to consummate it? For that matter, how often would she? Of course for a while at least she could imagine that she would want sex more than usual, because of the new exciting quality of it, but after that it would probably settle into a routine the way she heard it had…assuming they ended up in a long relationship.

Perhaps she was overthinking things, as usual. Judging by Gaara's patient, if ever so slightly quizzical stare, she had been lost in thought for some time now, and he probably was wondering what she could possibly be thinking about to cause her to blush off and on like a faulty lightbulb. That thought only sparked yet another flush, and she rather irritatedly wondered if there was some sort of limit to how many times she could blush in one hour.

Quite fortuitously, her body was providing an excellent distraction and reason to get up, because her morning urges had made an appearance. So, she began easing herself out of the large bed, making sure to keep the satin in place, especially as she exited from under the covers. It had ridden up through the night, and she had to give it a quick tug to get it to come down over her hips, which it did with a series of staticky crackles.

"If you'll excusing me, I have to…" not wanting to say ' _go to the bathroom'_ she simply pointed to the bathroom and then scooted off in said direction.

Once done, she used his toothbrush again, feeling a little guilty but also giddy in a weird way, and then she exited and traded with him the way they had done last night. She exited into the living room while he did his business – a thought which reminded her of one crazy fangirl who had once come up and asked her if she'd ever seen Lord Gaara actually go into a bathroom. Apparently the crazy girl had been under the impression that he was magical and didn't have to eat, sleep, or use the toilet.

As it turned out, only one of those was true – and she still found it hard to believe that he didn't sleep. Perhaps he was "magical" after all.

Amused by her train of thought, she found herself ambling around the room and eventually came to a halt in front of his massive bookshelf, one of several. He had an enormous collection of scrolls and books, some of which he had even lent to her at one time or another as her sensei – ones which detailed jutsus and techniques on fighting. Pulling out one that he had lent to her on advanced hand to hand combat techniques, she perused the text. She'd given it back to him before finishing it, because she had been taking too long to read it and felt bad about holding onto it for so long.

She opened it to one of the pages she hadn't studied, and was so engrossed in reading about how to get out of an advanced chokehold without weapons available, that she didn't hear or sense Gaara coming up behind her. So she was surprised when suddenly an arm wrapped around her neck while another pressed along her spine to grab his wrist, cinching the chokehold down tight. She gasped, and the book tumbled from her hands, startled. He must have looked over her shoulder to see which technique she was studying, because this was the exact same chokehold it had been describing how to get out of. Unfortunately she hadn't had enough time to really understand the maneuver described.

Gaara's head appeared next to her own as he leaned over her and he asked, "Now, how do you get out of it?"

The chokehold itself wasn't painful, but it was snug and a little tighter than she would like over her throat. It also felt very sturdy and difficult to break. Once she got over her momentary shock, she uncomfortably cleared her throat and murmured breathily – due to the slight constriction over her vocal cords – "Um. I…uh…" To be honest, she really didn't know.

Thinking hard back to the text, she hesitantly reached up to grip the arm around her neck. That felt right, so she dug her fingers in and tugged as hard as she could to try to get a little room. That didn't work, so she bit her lip and tried even harder to remember what she had just read. It was difficult because she was more of a visual learner, so sometimes it took some time to really piece together what written words were telling her to do. However, she was pretty sure there was some sort of bending over involved.

Trying again, she gripped his arm tightly and then tried to jerk her upper half forwards and down a little in a bend. Then she tossed herself back instantly, figuring that the sudden move forward and then back would create a little bit of room in his arm. It worked to a certain degree and she quickly pushed her hand into the space created, to hopefully prevent him from clamping down as hard as before. Perhaps the move required for her to get her whole arm through the space and therefore levering his grip off, but just getting her hand into the space simply meant that her wrist was trapped as well.

Stuck once again, she stalled. "Uh…"

He didn't respond, merely waiting for her to continue her attempt, and so she did.

Using her free arm she tried elbowing him, but he just moved out of the way. Grasping at straws now, she extended her arm and reached back with her hand to grab a fistful of his t-shirt and tried to shove him back like that. Once again, that only seemed to make things worse as he just pressed forwards and trapped her arm between his torso and his arm.

"Any other ideas?" He asked, sounding a little amused.

With a sigh, she relaxed back against him. "No, Gaara Sensei." She admitted, tacking on the 'sensei' part out of both habit and intentionally as sort of a joke…but not really. She always tended to call him sensei when they were training together, even after he became Kazekage. The only reason it was kind of said a bit more playfully now was because of their setting, in his apartments, in their pajamas. It didn't seem necessary by any means.

He chuckled, obviously noting the honorific. His arms released her and then rearranged, allowing her arms to drop out of confinement. She stayed put, sensing that he wasn't quite done, and was proven correct when his arm rewrapped around her neck. Only one arm draped across her this time though, in a less advanced chokehold.

"Try this."

She nodded, and proceeded to attempt escape once more. It went slightly more successfully this time around, at least until he distracted her thoroughly when his free hand suddenly appeared on her hip. That caused her to still, out of surprise as she considered its placement for a moment. Then, determining it wasn't really a danger, she continued to focus on the arm around her neck. That hand proved to become a much bigger distraction though, when after a minute of staying put, it suddenly started creeping down her thigh. That made her freeze up again and wonder what the heck he was doing.

"Wh-what are you…?"

"Try to stop me." He responded, his breath right on her ear now. It was said in a perfectly calm, instructive sort of voice, but it still made her tense up.

She wasn't sure if he intentionally made it sound so suggestive, but it certainly came out that way. Paired with the way his hand had stalled on her skin right below the hemline of her dress, the command sent skitters down her spine. A brilliant blush painted her cheeks and she gulped before nodding, and then tried to do as he said.

Once she unfroze and actively started trying to escape, his hand also regained motion, this time sneaking under her hem and started going back up the way it had just gone, dragging her dress with it. She didn't doubt that he was both playing and also doing a little training while he was at it, but that he wouldn't actually do anything she didn't want him to. However it still sent nervous little zings through her body, along with sparks of excitement. Of course she had always enjoyed this particular type of training, where he would put her in a hold and tell her to try and get out of it. Back then, it was all the physical contact she was allowed with him.

Instinctively, one hand flew down to wrap around his wrist, trying to halt his upward progress. It wasn't like she was opposed to the idea, outside of still finding herself super shy and embarrassed at the thought, but he himself had told her to try and stop him.

"I would focus on the arm around your neck." He advised, giving that arm a little squeeze for emphasis.

She always had enough problems dealing with normal Gaara, but this version of him – playful while also in teacher mode, both bossy and teasing – was just too much for her to handle.

"B-but…" She protested, wondering how she was supposed to focus on his arm around her neck and also stop the progress up her thigh.

"If you break the hold, I won't be able to touch you." He explained.

It made perfect sense, and in a real situation with an assailant who was feeling her up, she would have to make that choice. But it was incredibly difficult to focus on the chokehold with the sensation of his fingers finally reaching the edge of her underwear high up on the front of her thigh. He played with the hem a little and followed it, first around her hip towards her side and behind and then back forwards.

Finally, she admitted defeat.

His hand stalled, and then lay flat, just resting against her thigh for a moment before reluctantly pulling back.

"We need to train more." He said in gentle admonishment as he released her.

She nodded in agreement.

After that, they proceeded with making breakfast. Matsuri enjoyed cooking, though with her clumsy tendencies she often made quite a mess as she did it. Gaara didn't seem concerned when she warned him, and so she offered to make breakfast for the both of them. As usual he didn't say much or show much on his face, but knowing him as well as she did she could see the glimmer of excitement brighten his eyes.

So, she tackled the idea of making pancakes. It was simple enough, just make the batter and then pour it into a hot pan. Being extra careful to try and not spill or drop anything, she began measuring out ingredients. But despite her best intentions, she managed to drop the insides of an egg onto the counter when she cracked it, instead of in the bowl where she had been aiming. The egg was near the edge, but quickly slipped and slid over the rim to land on the floor. She paused to mop it up, but must not have done so very well because a few minutes later when she crossed across the kitchen with a measuring cup of milk she slipped on some remaining goo.

She managed to not fall, by flailing around to get her balance, but the milk did splash everywhere. So, she paused once again to mop, being a little more thorough this time. During the course of preparation, she also managed to spill the sugar container, drop some flour which poofed everywhere, and then spatter batter in various places as she ladled it into the pan. By the time she was done, the kitchen had been cleaned four or five times already, and still possessed spots of various ingredients. Likewise, she was also covered in an interesting array of substances. However, as usual, the pancakes turned out perfect and fluffy.

Despite being messy and clumsy, she was actually a very good cook.

Gaara hadn't commented once on the mess she made, for which she was thankful. However, once he tasted the pancakes his stoic expression changed, his non-brows rising in surprise.

"These are very good." He complemented.

The compliment instantly had her feeling all warm and gooey, and made the hassle and mess entirely worth it in her opinion.

After breakfast and clean-up, he calmly suggested with a straight face that perhaps she would like to take a shower. It was an excellent idea, and Matsuri blushed as she thanked him, and then blushed harder when he said, "feel free to use any soap or towels you find. There will also be some clothes that you can wear on the counter."

Thanking him again, she made her way quickly into the bathroom and shut herself inside. Using the time by herself to catch her breath and calm her thoughts, she slowly contemplated her surroundings. He possessed both a round tub and a stand up shower stall. Going towards the shower, she peered into it, noting the bar of soap, and quickly found a bottle of shampoo as well on one of the counters. Also, sure enough, on the counter next to the sink was a stack of what must be the clothes he mentioned. The only thing she could think of to explain why they were there was that he had used some sand to put them there after he asked her if she'd like to take a shower.

Ignoring the clothes for the time being, she stripped and then quickly stepped into the shower, feeling self-conscious about being naked in Gaara's bathroom. Just being in here had felt weird yesterday, and being in here totally naked about to use his shower was even odder. Even so, she spent a good deal of time under the hot water, both scrubbing at the somewhat dried batter and egg bits, and also thinking. Shower time had always been used as a time of contemplation for her, and she found her mind mulling over their situation for what felt like the millionth time.

And that inevitably led to thinking about sex in conjunction with Gaara.

She wondered if she truly was ready for that yet. It had all happened so suddenly, it still felt unreal. On the one hand, she wasn't sure she could go through with it. Her nerves and shyness were overwhelming whenever she tried to seriously imagine what it would be like. If just fantasizing about it made her turn into a blushing stammering idiot, then what would actually doing it be like? Was it possible to blush hard enough to injure yourself? Maybe she could actually give herself a fever.

On the other hand of course, she was beyond eager to get on it already. Ever since learning about their situation, the urge to go for it had been getting stronger and stronger. Even though he had plainly stated that they had plenty of time, she couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency, like they should be doing it right now. She just couldn't shake the idea that it needed to happen sooner rather than later, mainly because she was going to go insane if they didn't.

The constant tension was slowly driving her batty. Oh sure, they had moments of relaxation and she was thoroughly enjoying the time spent with Gaara in this very new setting, but in the back of her mind the idea of sex was constantly there.

Just the fact that they were going to do it at some point, made it impossible to not think about.

Besides that, was it necessary for them to go all the way? Would not going all the way make it any easier? Then again, she kind of wanted to go for everything all at once - she'd been waiting long enough after all.

But then again, it just made it all the more intense to consider. There was so much out there that she didn't even know about. Like the tongue kissing stuff. She was sure there were all kinds of other things she hadn't known about. It wasn't like she was a total innocent, she knew about sex and what went where, and she even knew about oral sex, although the thought of that was similar to the way she had thought about tongue kissing – with a mild edge of ' _that can't be sanitary_.' But would Gaara even want to do stuff like that?

What would it be like exactly? Just like the way they had been on the couch last night, kissing and making out and then…he'd just stick it in? Really, they could have done it right then and there, all he would have had to do was undo his zipper and push in… they had been in the right position and everything. If that was the case, she thought she could probably handle it…but if there was a lot more involved, like fully getting naked and stuff, she wasn't so sure.

That wasn't fully accurate. She knew she could do it, she just didn't know if she'd survive the experience or if she'd end up having a heart attack or passing out or something midway through.

Maybe she could convince him to do it with them still partially clothed, and minimal touching of private parts aside from the actual doing it part. Then again, she didn't know if she'd be happy with just that. Now that she could go for everything, why shouldn't she try it all out? This was a perfect opportunity; she had Gaara all to herself for a few days. They could spend the majority of that time in the bedroom experimenting and trying stuff out.

Basically, she was torn about it. Half of her was screaming, ' _yes go for it!_ ' while the other side was cringing back and hiding under the bed with a blush that lit her up like a Christmas tree.

By the end of her shower, she hadn't exactly reached a conclusion, aside from the fact that she did indeed want to go ahead and try to start doing stuff pretty soon before she went mad with the waiting. She knew she didn't have the guts to just come out and say it though, so she'd have to work it in somehow. Maybe she could sit really close to him or something while they talked.

Sighing, she turned off the water and stepped out, using his towel to dry off. It smelled like him, which was a lovely sensory experience.

Once dry, she walked over to the clothes he had offered and picked them up. He'd given her a red t-shirt like the kind he was currently wearing, and there was a pair of pajama bottoms under that. The shirt fit, acting more like a long dress really since it came to the tops of her thighs, but the pants just fell off. Deciding to just go with the t-shirt and slipping back on her panties from yesterday, she chose to forgo a bra, since it had somehow gotten splattered too. She left her dirty clothes in a neat ball on the counter and then gathered up the courage to step out into the bedroom.

He was reclining on the bed, propped up with pillows and reading as he waited. When she walked out though, his pale eyes instantly looked over and then seemed to stick as he looked her up and down several times. His expression stayed stoic, but his eyes darkened somewhat with heat and she fidgeted.

Making her somewhat unsteady way into the room, she cleared her throat, and asked, "So, uh, what now?"

"What would you like to do?" He asked mildly, closing the book and putting it aside on the nightstand next to him.

That was a loaded question if she'd ever heard one.

The idea of sex flitted through her mind, not that it had ever left, and she flushed, shifting her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. She knew good and well she didn't have the guts to say that though, so instead, she said, "Um…we could…talk?"

"What would you like to talk about?"

He sat up more fully and shifted back in an obvious invitation for her to join him. She awkwardly clambered up onto the bed, her mind trying to come up with a topic of discussion. Pulling at loose ends, she finally remembered a movie once, where the characters had played a game. It might just work, and would be interesting.

"Um, well, I saw this movie once were they played a talking game. Basically, you each try to come up with something the other person doesn't know about you. For each piece of new information you share that they were unaware of, you get a point, and you can use those points to ask questions. If you ask a question, the other person has to answer truthfully, or else use up one of their points to avoid the question if it's really embarrassing or something they don't want to talk about."

He seemed to consider it. After a long pause he eventually said, "It sounds interesting. You go first."

"Oh, uh, okay. Um, let me think…" She had to try and think of something to tell Gaara that he didn't already know about her. "My favorite color is green?"

"Red." He simply replied.

Then it was her turn again. "Um, okay. So that's one point for each of us." She tallied up verbally, and then shared, "I hate wearing high heels. I tried once, and tripped through every single door and over every single rug I came across."

The slightest of smiles curled his lips.

From there the conversation/game went much the same way. They covered simple and safe topics such as: first pet, favorite article of clothing, favorite animal, the first time they went on a mission, and the like.

Matsuri divulged that she really loved flowers, but had settled for folded paper flowers as decoration in her home because the real ones were expensive. Then she'd blushingly told him that she once bought silk sheets, thinking they would feel nice, only to discover the same staticky situation she'd previously had with her satin nightgown.

In return, he shared that his preferred food was basically anything spicy. In fact, he said that this morning was the first time he'd ever tried pancakes. He also told her that as a child, he had a teddy bear that he used to carry around with him everywhere, which she found absolutely adorable.

Things proceeded in this manner for a while, until he used one of his points to ask her a question.

"When did you first recognize your feelings for me?"

Matsuri was blindsided by the query. It was simple enough she supposed, actually it was a question she had considered asking Gaara, but just hadn't the gumption to do so. So now she was faced with it.

Blushing, she admitted, "Well, I guess I got a crush on you soon after becoming your student. It just sort of kept getting deeper and deeper and eventually I guess it just turned into love along the way. I don't really remember any specific moment when I realized it had turned though."

He looked surprised, his eyes a little wider than normal. "That long?"

"Yep." She nodded bashfully, still blushing of course. Since it had already come up, she found it easier to return the same question. "How about you?"

His head cocked and he looked off to the side a moment, thinking hard. She took the opportunity to scoot closer to him eagerly, almost touching her knees to his. When his eyes returned to hers, they were more intense, intently staring into her own.

"I suppose my story is much the same as yours. I was…fascinated with you from the moment you became my student. That fascination transformed into something…more, but I couldn't put a name to it for quite some time. It wasn't until after I became Kazekage and had to spend so much time apart from you that I finally recognized it for what it was."

That was the longest she thought she'd ever heard him speak in one go before and it left her in a state of shock, while also making her hyper aware of him. When his eyes flicked down to her mouth she felt it almost like a touch and her breath sucked in, face flushing even pinker. Her reaction only seemed to increase the intensity of his gaze and his eyes darkened with heat as he flicked them back up to meet hers.

It was at this moment that she realized they were much closer than before, and seemed to still be gravitating towards each other. She could feel his breath on her face now. He glanced down at her lips again and then the space between his non-brows crinkled up in a little frown.

Meeting her gaze again, he whispered, "I promised myself I wouldn't push…or ask…"

She instantly knew to what he was referring, and suddenly a wave of nerves washed over her. That was followed by another wave, just as strong as the first, but this one was of excitement. For a long moment, Matsuri couldn't decide which one was dominant within her, but in the end anticipation won out by a hair. Though she was still a bundle of nerves, she very much wanted to go for it.

"I think…if we go slow…" She whispered back, trying very hard not to blush and failing since she already was.

Her heart was pounding out of control, and she found it very difficult to keep her breathing at a consistent rate, especially as he leaned in that last little bit of distance between them to kiss her. He tugged her nearer, and she went, going up onto her knees to get closer to him. Somehow she ended up in his lap a few moments later, while the kiss continued almost unbroken. He asked for entrance into her mouth relatively soon into the kiss and this time she did so without any reservation. It was still a little strange to her, but she had to admit that it did feel good.

Of course she blushed her way through the kiss, her face hot and feverish the whole time, but she wasn't paying too much attention to it since most of her mind was focused on feeling his lips on hers. It was warm and wet and humid with their breath and at times it was a little messy, but it was also strangely intoxicating and slowly ate away at all other thoughts until the only thing left was the motion of her mouth against his. She tried to keep up, match his rhythm, and was mostly successful. Her hands ended up in the shorter red hair at the nape of his neck and stayed there since she was completely immersed in the kiss.

Suddenly though, there was a new player on her radar as his hands - which had been resting on her waist - began to drift. His kisses grew more absentminded as he obviously switched focus, and his hands traveled down to the hem of her shirt. He stalled there, his fingers playing with the edge that sat high on her thighs, almost at her hips now with the way she sat in his lap. She didn't protest, and so eventually his fingers slipped underneath the material and started traveling back up. They carefully, and very deliberately played across the skin of her back and around her waist to her stomach. Every gentle caress sent fire through her.

This time was different from last night. Yesterday they had gotten caught up in their emotions and confessing their love to each other for the first time, so it had been nearly frantic, passionate, and wildly out of control. Today however, Gaara was touching her differently, much more carefully and almost hesitantly, as if afraid she would break or run away. It was as if he too was just realizing the significance of the moment and was getting nervous as well, though Matsuri found that hard to believe.

Still, if there was a chance he was also hesitant, maybe he would be open to her ideas of how to make this less awkward or potentially embarrassing. This was the perfect opportunity to ask about doing it half-clothed at the very least.

Pulling back from the kiss, she tried to catch her breath enough to speak, but it was made difficult by the way his lips rerouted to her neck and kissed her there.

"G-Gaara, um…"

Finally his head came up and he met her gaze, his eyes much darker than usual and intense. He didn't say anything, just stared at her in a questioning manner.

"Er, m-maybe we could just…do it like this?" Her voice squeaked at the end and she blushed much hotter than before.

"Specify please." Perhaps he got even less verbose when he was aroused. It was a thought that both amused her and made her flush.

"Like we are now, p-partially clothed and …"

"No," he interrupted before she could figure out how to say ' _without too much intimate touching_.' "If you aren't ready to even be naked, then we are rushing things and need to stop."

When he started pulling back, she almost panicked and her hand clenched in his hair, holding him put. His eyes widened in surprise and he stilled, though once again he pinned her with an intense stare.

"I-I don't want to stop…" She mumbled, flushing even hotter than before.

He watched her for a long time without saying anything, apparently trying to determine if she was telling the truth. She met his eyes, trying to convey her sincerity. She hadn't suggested it because she wanted to stop; it was just that she was shy and wanted to explore her options.

"Why would you want to do that?" He asked, and she assumed he meant her previous suggestion, not why she wanted to continue.

Still, she clarified her answer. "To try keeping our clothes on while…? I just… I'm shy. You should know that by now."

"Indeed. But if you are so shy, then why do you want to continue?"

Was he going to make her spell it out? Apparently so, judging by his serious look and intent stare.

"W-well I…I want to um… _continue_ , because I…because I just do alright!?"

His non-brows rose at her increase in volume and she bit her lip, embarrassed at the outburst.

Clearing her throat she tried to articulate it clearer for him. "I _want_ to do this. I've wanted it for a very, very long time now. Like I said, I'm just shy and easily embarrassed and also nervous because it's…my first time…" She stuttered to a halt, realizing she probably should have mentioned that earlier.

At their age it was probably unusual to still be a virgin she supposed. Most of her friends and the people she knew had lost their V-card in their teens, and here she was in her twenties and had never gotten past first base. Sure, she'd gone on dates and shared a few kisses with boys here and there, but it always felt wrong, so she'd stopped all that pretty quickly.

His eyes widened slightly and then gentled, warming to shine with something new. He looked…pleased by the information. And then he confirmed it, showing a rare smile. "I'm glad no one else has touched you like this…" Then that smile went away and a small frown took its place.

"What's wrong?"

He shook his head, clearing his expression.

He didn't seem like he was going to answer, so she insisted. "What's wrong Gaara?"

With a soft sigh, he finally gave in reluctantly. "I find my emotions troubling."

"How so?"

His eyes grew tight. "The feelings I experienced when you told me I was your first were…too possessive. They were too similar to some of the darker things I felt in my past."

For some reason, hearing that sent a thrill through her. She didn't know why, but she liked the idea of him being possessive of her. ….Though the mention of his dark past was a little scary. Personally, she hadn't known him back then, although she'd certainly been as aware of him as all the people of the Sand were. She'd heard all the stories, and even just the barest mention of them sent a chill down her spine.

But all of that was in the past, and she shoved it back where it belonged. She harbored no fear for him now, and even his past self was forgiven in her mind. With him now, she had no concerns about whether his emotions were similar to some from way back when.

"It's okay to feel possessive of someone you love. In fact I…" She ducked her head, embarrassed to admit the rest. "I always felt kind of possessive about you. As your student, I felt like you belonged to me…in a way…and I sort of hated those other girls in your fan club because they all seemed so shallow. I guess that means I was also jealous…" It sounded so awful, and she winced, closing her eyes because she didn't want to see his response.

When he didn't say anything for a long moment, she finally risked a glance, and then her eyes got snared. He was looking at her so intensely, his eyes nearly burning, that she could only imagine that he liked the idea of her being possessive of him in return.

A small smirk curved the corner of his lips and he said deeply, "Good."

He kissed her again, deeply, and she struggled to keep up with his sudden mood swing. It was passionate, but brief, and soon he was tearing himself away again and visibly struggled to put his normal expressionless calm mask back on.

He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. We were talking about your reservations."

"Oh. That."

"Yes. That." He repeated almost teasingly, and then sobered. "I can understand why you're nervous. I should tell you; this is also my first time."

That shouldn't surprise her as much as it did. It made perfect sense really, he had never shown any sort of interest in anyone, except her apparently.

"B-but you're so… _confidant_."

A strange, barely-there smile quirked his lips. "I'm not actually. None of this is exactly comfortable, though very enjoyable I assure you." He soothed instantly as she started getting concerned. "But given that I am not used to physical contact of any kind, it's all very new to me."

"S-so does that mean you're nervous too?"

"I suppose you could say that." He didn't look overly happy about admitting to it.

"That…actually makes me feel better."

He blinked in obvious confusion. "How?"

"To know that I'm not the only one who's nervous about it. I guess that's a little strange, but it's nice to know we're in the same boat."

He just calmly stared at her, but this time it didn't unnerve her.

"So then…can we…?" She started, glancing down at his lips, wanting to kiss him again and continue where they left off. Since she was looking, she saw the way a muscle in his jaw jumped and wondered if it was because of her.

"Can you even say it?" He asked after a moment.

"Hm?"

"This whole time, you haven't actually said the word _'sex.'_ "

"O-oh…"

After a long pause, he said, "If you're so shy that you can't even _say_ it, then we probably _should_ stop."

She groaned, finding this condition a little unfair. First he insisted on them getting naked, and now he insisted on her actually saying the word sex.

Still, she had to admit he had a fair point. After all if she was this bashful she probably _wouldn't_ survive the experience.

After some internal pep talk, she finally cleared her throat and gritted her teeth. "Gaara…I want to…" She trailed off and winced before starting over. Taking a deep breath, she finally blurted out, "I want to sex!" Then she realized what she'd said and blushed bright red. "Erm, I mean to have! To HAVE… sex…" By the last word she was deflating and wanted to hide her probably beet red face.

He just blinked calmly at her, though there was a tiny twitch at the side of his lips that suggested he was resisting the urge to smile and probably laugh. She wouldn't blame him… that had been a pretty ridiculous attempt.

In fact, after the embarrassment eased, she began to chuckle, finding it a little amusing in hindsight. It was only after she started that he joined her, his soft deep chuckle soothing instead of making her embarrassed. It didn't sound like he was laughing at her in the slightest.

"You really are adorable." He said with a soft grin, one of the widest she had ever seen, and she was struck by the beauty of it.

Instantly, she made it a goal in life to make him smile as many times as she possibly could, and found a matching smile bloom brilliantly on her own lips. He seemed a little stunned for a moment. Perhaps he wasn't expecting her to be so cheerful after getting so embarrassed?

"Thank you…" She responded softly to the compliment. "Sooo can we?" When he stared at her expectantly, she finished the question. "Have … sex?" That still felt incredibly strange to say, and she still blushed a million different shades of red.

"Only if it's what you want." He responded. His voice was calm, but his hands on her waist tightened almost spastically.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to…" She responded with a slight pout, frowning and making a moue with her mouth. She was a little put out by the suggestion that she would pursue it if she didn't want it. In fact it seemed downright silly in her opinion.

He blinked at her response and then chuckled, his hands tightening again, this time with intent as he used the grip to pull her forwards rather suddenly.

"Good to know…" He murmured against her lips, and once again they were kissing.

She sighed, almost in relief, and melted into his arms even as she accidentally clacked her teeth against his in her eagerness. That had been entirely stressful and she was glad it was over. Once again, she found it difficult to believe what he'd said about him being nervous. His kisses were so demanding, not shy at all, and his hands were also bold as they traveled across the skin under her shirt. However, he did avoid her chest or her groin area - for which she was thankful, but also a little curious about.

Still, he didn't seem too hesitant when he tilted them both back, landing under her as they continued to kiss, only horizontally now. The change in position was a little startling, but since she was on top it didn't make her too nervous and she wondered if he did that on purpose. Or maybe it was because it gave him more freedom with his hands. He was still wandering around under her shirt, but after a while he withdrew. She wasn't sure why, until suddenly she felt a tug on the material and realized he had gripped the hem in an obvious request.

She yelped and sat up, which made them both freeze and stare at each other with wide eyes. Her action had been a knee jerk response to the suggestion of taking off her shirt, but she'd done it without thinking and landed firmly on his groin. Now, she found herself straddling him, her panties pressed to his fly, and there was absolutely no denying the fact that he was excited by their activities. She could very clearly feel his hard on. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing to sit on.

They both looked down, at where her tanned thighs landed on either side of his hips, and they both stared for a long moment before meeting each other's eyes.

Matsuri wasn't entirely sure what to do now and there was a long slightly awkward pause as they both obviously tried to figure it out. Finally, she decided to address the previous issue, and just pretend that the current issue wasn't there at all.

She reached down and lightly wrapped her hand around one of his wrists and he jerked, his fingers tightening on the cloth still in his grip.

"I don't think it's fair for me to take this off just yet. That would leave me in just my panties, and you're still fully dressed." She managed to say without stuttering, and was inordinately proud of herself for it.

He flushed for once, and she was instantly mesmerized by the sight.

Quickly gathering himself together after her statement, he was quick to rectify the problem. "Of course. Here."

He sat up a little and in one fluid motion managed to drag his t-shirt over his head, though it did seem to snag around his neck for a second and he made a small choking sound. Finally though it was off completely and he tossed it away dismissively before meeting her stare with one of his own.

"I could take my pants off too…though I should warn you I am not wearing anything underneath."

Her jaw dropped and she was left speechless, both because of his words and the sight of him laid out under her without a shirt. She'd never seen him shirtless before, and her eyes couldn't seem to stop staring. Without her permission, her gaze wavered from his face and then broke the eye contact entirely to peruse his form instead. She just couldn't help but look at him, and gawked for a long moment.

He just lay there silently, letting her look.

Of course she'd known he was fit, how could he not be? As a shinobi you had to be in good physical condition. She herself possessed plenty of good muscle that she'd built over the years of training and fighting. But he was so…lovely to look at. His shape was still of a younger man, with slightly narrower shoulders - though they were definitely broader than when he first became her teacher. They'd still been teenagers then. Now, he was definitely a man. He was slender, his muscles long and sinewy instead of thick and bulgy. Everything about him was graceful, from the line of his throat and collarbones, to the dips and ripples in his tight stomach, to his leanly muscular arms.

Of course perhaps she was just biased.

Eventually she managed to regain control over her eyes and snapped them back up to his face, instantly blushing hotly for staring at him for so long. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't…shouldn't stare like that…"

He didn't respond right away, just gazed at her with warm unblinking eyes and a small smile curling his lips. "I don't mind."

At his permission she glanced back down and this time reached a hand out, hesitating before making contact. She glanced back up to ask if she could touch and he nodded ever so slightly to give his consent. With it, she let her fingers grace his skin, and then her palm, slowly stroking him from the base of his throat to the middle of his stomach in one long admiring caress. She was amazed by how soft his skin was, unmarred aside from one large mark. It was a scar she didn't recognize, a strange, stark white star shaped mark high up on his chest which sent out thin white lines that twisted up his shoulder and over his chest in a pattern almost like frost.

Wonderingly she commented, "You're skin is so smooth. Unscarred. Aside from…" She traced those two scars lightly with gentle fingertips.

"That is one of only four battles that broke through my sand. The others were healed so that they left no scars."

She figured he probably meant the incident with Seimei, the debacle with Deidara, and the battle with Madara, all of which he had been tended to afterwards by the leaf shinobi Sakura. That medic-nin was so good that Matsuri didn't doubt she had the ability to heal without scars.

"What made this pattern?" She wondered at the white lines and traced a few.

"A very strong lightning attack. If it had been treated it wouldn't have scarred so badly, but that was back when I…wasn't inclined to accept help from anyone."

"Oh." Was all she could say to that, and looked at it more closely. It wasn't unattractive. In fact, she could imagine how some people might even perhaps tattoo something similar onto themselves. The thin delicate lines were very intricate, like branching roots, or frost, or…lightning.

"I think it looks cool actually." She admitted, hoping it wouldn't offend him somehow.

He blinked at her and then glanced at it consideringly.

After a long pause, she cleared her throat, realizing there was a very clear difference between them. Aside from the glaring scar on her throat, she possessed many others, a good handful of which she had accidentally given herself when learning the rope javelin. Others were from missions were she came back wounded. And yet others were simply due to her carelessness – accidents where she tripped and fell or some such thing. He must have already seen the ones on her arms and legs.

"I'm afraid I have a lot more scars than you do…" She mumbled, looking away. One hand subconsciously touched her worst one, the slash across her throat.

His eyes skimmed over her, taking in the scars he could see on her arms and exposed legs. After a long moment he said, "Though I hate the thought of you injured, the resulting scars do not have any influence over my attraction to you."

She relaxed some, though she supposed she probably shouldn't have been too worried to begin with. All shinobi had plentiful scars, aside from him. And it seemed almost unfair that the only scar he had hung onto ended up looking so cool.

At any rate, his plainly stated words did help to ease her anxiety a little, though it came rushing back as he gave a gentle tug on the hem of her shirt and stared up at her with a question in his eyes. He wasn't going to ask it seemed, he was leaving this particular decision up to her. That light tug had merely been a suggestion. She bit her lips, her own hands going to the hem of her shirt and gripping it. He released it, letting her be in charge of whether or not she wanted to take it off.

There was a moment of tension and silence as she considered it. This was one of the big hurdles for her that had been holding her back even from the idea of sex - getting naked in front of Gaara. It was going to happen eventually, so in the end she finally decided it was better to get it over with now. So, with a deep breath, she pulled the shirt up over her head, and then instantly turned lobster red from head to toe and snapped her arms protectively over her chest, holding the discarded shirt there.

To his credit, Gaara's eyes remained fixed on her face, whenever she risked a glance at him. After another long and tense moment, he finally asked, "Why are you so frightened?" and then a moment later he added more softly, "Are you frightened of me?"

An instant surge of mild irritation that he would even consider that gave her courage, and she frowned, saying, "No! Of course I'm not scared of you! I already said that last night!" It was both irritating and saddening that he had felt the need to ask again.

His eye widened in surprise, his pupils almost disappearing again.

For what felt like the hundredth time she explained, "I'm – just – shy!" Her words were staccato with her aggravation at him for ever thinking she would be like those other people, the ones who still held his past against him. For good measure, she gave him a stern look.

He just blinked, still looking shocked for a moment, and then his eyes softened again, darkening as his pupils once more widened to make them a deep smoky turquoise.

"I see." He rumbled, and then after a moment she suddenly found herself moving.

They flipped, and had abruptly switched positions with him on top of her before she knew what was going on. He pressed close, until her clenched arms were snug against his chest, the bundled up shirt trapped between them.

"Is this better?" He asked, their noses brushing. "I cannot see very much like this."

He was right, unless he craned his neck down to look between them, with their bodies pressed so closely together - and his hands occupied holding himself up - he couldn't really look or touch. She slowly nodded, her shock wearing off. A grin curled his lips, stealing her breath, and then he took the rest of it with a deep kiss. Soon enough she had forgotten about the fact that she was mostly naked and abandoned the loosely draped fabric shielding her chest to wiggle her arms out from between them. The shirt stayed, stuck between their chests.

But the skin of their stomachs came into contact, and she reveled in the warm feel of his smooth skin against hers. Speaking of skin, she suddenly realized that there was a whole lot of it for her to explore, now that his shirt was off, and she was slightly distracted from the kiss as she allowed her fingers to roam all the dips and ridges of the muscles on his back. His skin was smooth there too, and so incredibly hot to the touch, which she had already noticed as he pressed against her. It was almost overwhelming, his heat combined with her fever. She loved it, but it also made her sticky with sweat.

His body pressed against hers, and she allowed his legs to fall between hers. It seemed the natural thing to do, and the most comfortable way to fit their bodies together. His erection fell along the crease of her abdomen and hip, and dug into her there almost uncomfortably, but he didn't grind into her the way she expected. He simply lay still, draped over her, and only moved his head and mouth. She could feel tension stringing him tight, like a rubber band about to snap.

Eventually she had to break the kiss, tossing her head back and to the side to try and get some air, the heat getting to her. He pulled back accommodatingly, breathing fast and hard himself. After a moment, he sat back fully on his heels, between her legs, looking down at her sprawled out beneath him. Without thinking about it, her knees bent and gripped his hips to prevent him from retreating any further than that, even though it didn't seem he had any intention to do so. Once she realized what she had done though, she flushed harder and fidgeted, her legs twitching and about to lie back down. Gaara prevented that from happening, his hands going to her knees and holding them where they were.

She sucked in a sharp breath at the contact and could feel the heat in her face inching even hotter as she stared up at him, shaky and not sure what was next. He met her gaze, his eyes hot and piercing, but slowly calmed a bit as he took in the sight of her re-bundling nerves. His hands slid up her legs, over her thighs and to her hips, and she shivered at the feel of it. The caress slowed, but continued up her sides, over her rib cage. One hand stayed, the other lifted and plucked at the bundle of cloth still over her chest.

"This is what has you so concerned, correct?" He asked, his voice heavy with breath and raspy.

She nodded and then her fingers clenched in the sheet below her as he very slowly dragged it off her, giving her ample time to stop him. Cool air hit her bare skin and she shivered, feeling the tips of her breasts tighten, and the rest of her tightened along with them. Every muscle clenched, holding her still, and her eyes shut tight as she felt her blush reach an all new height, crawling down her neck and over her chest, as if in an attempt to cover it.

Nothing happened.

After a long moment just lying there, her muscles quivering with anxiety, she finally squinted one eye open. He was staring down at her, that calm mask in place, though his eyes burned. He was keeping his gaze firmly on her face, and it seemed he was waiting for her to relax. Ever so slowly she let her other eye open, and stared up at him, almost bemused at the situation she found herself in. Here she was, lying very nearly naked beneath him, and all he was doing was gazing very fixedly into her eyes. It was almost surreal.

Gradually, her tense muscles began to relax, as she slowly realized this wasn't so scary. It was at that point, when the muscles in her legs relaxed, that she realized her knees had gripped his hips in a vice, which was probably what had tipped him off to her anxiety. As soon as that pressure eased up though, his eyes flicked down, very quickly, and then back up, asking if he could look now. Her muscles twitched, tensed, and then relaxed again, and she finally nodded, deciding it was okay. He watched her face for a long moment, probably waiting for it to relax, and then his eyes finally glided down her neck.

When his gaze stuck on her breasts she fought the urge to squirm and cover them, but wasn't entirely successful as she twitched and fidgeted somewhat under his stare. Eventually his gaze drifted further down, taking in her stomach and hips and then her underwear and thighs still pressing into him. The hand still on her ribcage drifted up, edging around one breast until it rested beside it high on her ribs, almost under her armpit. She shivered again at his touch.

"May I touch you?"

The first response to come to Matsuri's mind was ' _you already are!_ ' but she knew that wasn't what he meant. He was asking if he could touch her chest area. Taking a deep fortifying breath she nodded tightly, nervous but also very interested in proceeding. By this point she was already aroused enough that a few of her inhibitions were falling by the wayside.

For once he didn't wait for further confirmation, his hand simply slid up and over the breast nearest to it, and then cupped over her. She gasped and twitched, but overall it wasn't too different from his touching the rest of her, aside from when his palm had dragged over the peak. He glanced up, and when he didn't see any sign from her to stop, he continued, giving her a few gentle kneading motions, which felt nice, warm, soothing almost.

At first it wasn't exactly arousing, even when he added his second hand on her other breast. It wasn't until his palms retreated somewhat, and he explored her with fingertips that she began to squirm a little. He drew swirling patterns all over her chest area, avoiding the tips, although she wasn't sure if that was simply because he was being systematic and exploring her in stages, or if he was intentionally avoiding them for another reason. Whatever the case, she found the ticklish sensations highly arousing, and it caused her to very much want him to touch the centers, despite also being quite anxious about it as well. She knew she was going to respond, there was no doubt about that, and she just hoped she wouldn't embarrass herself too badly.

It was only a matter of time, and soon enough he did indeed find the peaks with his thumbs. As expected, she jumped and gasped. He noted the reaction, and focused more intently on those two spots, and soon Matsui found herself squirming around in an embarrassing manner, making soft sounds that she couldn't entirely contain. Her motions and noises only seemed to spur him on. Eventually though, he reached some sort of breaking point and his hands left her so that his mouth could once again claim hers.

This kiss was needier than the others, more forceful, full of intention, and he pressed the length of his body against hers again. The skin to skin contact had them both freezing for half a second. His body rolled against hers, hips grinding into her pelvis and his torso rubbing against her breasts. It was arousing, and Matsuri found herself responding in kind. That seemed to trigger a rhythm being started, and soon they were mimicking the motions of sex, in a way that had her flushing hot in more than just shyness. In fact, her shyness had taken a back burner to her passion, and now she was almost impatient to continue.

In a rare surge of confidence, one of her legs came up, hooking high up on his torso, and her toes snagged the waistband of his pants, dragging them down somewhat over his hip. Though they hit a hitch and she found it impossible to finish removing them, the action did get Gaara on board with the idea, and he finished the job quickly with his hands before allowing her to push them off with her feet. It was done in the spur of the moment, and it wasn't until she felt the bare skin of his legs and hips press and rub up against the insides of her thighs that she realized the consequences of said action. At that point her shy nature reared its irritating little head again, as she suddenly realized that all of him was out in the open.

It wasn't long before he realized she had tensed up, and in response he pulled back somewhat to look at her face. When he noted the tightness there, he sat back fully and asked, "Would you like to stop?"

Him sitting back fully was the last thing she'd expected or wanted, because it exposed the rest of his body to her gaze, and she promptly squeaked and covered her eyes. She still responded though to his question, not wanting him to get any more ridiculous ideas about her being scared of him.

"N-no! Just…uh…I just suddenly realized that you're um…self, was out and about."

There was a long pause, and then his amused voice filtered through, saying, "Out and about?"

He was teasing her, which happened very occasionally since most of the time he didn't comment on her turn of phrasing, which was often-times awkward at best. She had to admit though, this particular incident probably was one of the more humorous ones. Perhaps he was also trying to distract her from the situation.

She allowed for a small grin to grace her lips. "Yeah, I suppose that was a silly way to put it."

"…indeed." After another very long pause he continued. "And may I point out that it was you who removed that article of clothing?"

"R-right…well, I was caught up in the heat of the moment you know and…it just kind of…happened."

"I see." After a very long and awkward pause, he said, "If you looked, perhaps you would be less perturbed.'"

She grimaced, but he was probably right. If she just got up the nerve to go ahead and look at him, then she probably wouldn't be nearly as shy and bashful about it afterwards. So, after a few deep breaths, she peeked through her fingers. He was sitting still, waiting for her patiently. Her gaze slid down past the already seen territory to new land, and fought the urge to slam her eyes shut again at first glimpse. Forcing her eyes to remain open, she stared. Eventually, the shyness wore of just enough to let her remove her hands from her face and look straight at it.

The muscles in his stomach led to a V of muscle between his hips, which in turn lead directly to a tuft of vivid red hair at the apex of his legs. And in that nest of hair, stood his erection, which at the moment sat pointing at her as if in reprimand for being so shy about looking at him. It looked a little odd to her, being as she'd never seen one before, but certainly wasn't repulsive by any means. Once her initial debilitating shyness had somewhat past, she was left mostly with fascination and curiosity aimed toward it and the testicles hanging beneath. Without thinking about it, she almost found herself reaching towards it, wondering what it felt like, but jerked back, suddenly embarrassed again and flushing even hotter than before.

"You can touch me." He rumbled and her eyes flicked up to meet his.

His face was calm, though she suspected that was through practice and not because he was actually calm. His eyes gave him away, they were burning and his jaw was tight. Biting her lip, she glanced back down at his penis, wondering if she had enough courage to try actually touching him that intimately, but ultimately her fascination and desire won out over her inhibitions.

At first contact, her first impression was of incredibly soft skin, and then as she dared to wrap her hand around him, she found that he was harder than she'd expected. How any part of the body could be this hard simply from blood flow, she didn't know, but was amazed and surprised nonetheless. Also, the body heat given off here was immense, which made her wonder just how it would feel to have something that warm inside of her. Were all penises this warm or was it just him? Perhaps it was due to his being a jinchuriki, as she had assumed before.

When her fingers traveled upwards to the tip and she ventured a caress on what she knew was the most sensitive part of him, her impression of slightly stickier skin was interrupted by the way his hips bucked apparently without his permission. He hissed and stilled instantly though, but she could see the way his abdominal muscles quivered under the strain. A moment later he pulsed in her light grip and then jerked. She gasped and almost pulled her hand back, shocked by the fact that apparently his penis could move on its own. Just as shocking was the pulsing sensation of what she could only assume was blood rushing under the surface, engorging it fuller before her very eyes. He stiffened even more and the head puffed up for a moment before subsiding, and she was left open mouthed and shocked, wondering what had just happened. Had he just orgasmed?

Risking a glance up at his face, she would say not, judging by how tight his non-brows were and the muscle jumping in his cheek. He was still very much aroused. It was at that point that she realized her light exploratory touches were probably maddening to him in this state, and so she reluctantly withdrew. He caught her hand and flipped it, bringing her palm to his lips and kissing her there. She sucked in her breath quickly, surprised by the suddenness of it, and then gasped outright as she felt his teeth lightly nip at the fleshy pad of her hand beneath her thumb. His mouth quickly and somewhat uncoordinatedly traveled up her arm and suddenly found its way back to hers, pressing her back down fully into the mattress and resuming their previous activities.

The tenor of his kisses was nearly feverish now, though still restrained, and she could feel the tension in his powerful body as he pressed into her. One of his hands found its way down to her thigh, gripping her there hard. Then it slid up to her hip where his thumb hooked under the band of her panties. She sucked in a breath, but wasn't given a chance to fuss about it because they were being drawn down her legs somehow. It was only after the fact that she realized he must have used a strand of sand to complete that action.

If she'd really wanted to, she could have protested and undoubtedly he would have stopped. However, despite the bashfulness which made a sudden and intense come back yet again, she was also too wrapped up in his kisses to pay attention to it. Perhaps that had been his intention. That same hand found its way back to her hip and then moved inwards, tangling with her curls. She tensed impossibly, and finally he pulled back just a little, staring at her nose to nose. His hot breath made her own breathing somewhat difficult as he whispered, "…may I?" almost into her mouth.

His intense up-close stare and heavy panting, plus the feeling of his fingers already so close to where she was throbbing with warmth and blood all served to answer for her. Though her emotions were messy and all over the place, her body arched up under its own accord and a slight whimper escaped her throat, which was all the permission he needed. Before she knew what had hit her his mouth was back on hers and his fingers were buried in her folds. She could clearly feel how wet she was, due to the sensation of slipperiness, which also resulted in his fingers slipping and sliding around down there without any finesse.

He was clumsy, but gentle and eager, mapping out the terrain purely by feel. It was by accident that he stumbled across the sensitive bundle of nerves at the top of her core, though she instantly bucked and moaned at the surge of pleasure. He froze, and then his fingers carefully began searching the vicinity for it again. He had been knocked off it by her movement. It took him a moment before finding her clit again, but when he did she tensed up and another breathy indistinct sound escaped her, her hips flexing.

Once found, he stuck around in that area, dedicatedly messing with her clit to try and figure out how it worked. It was obvious that he had figured out it was her pleasure center, which probably hadn't been difficult since her responses were pretty difficult to control. But just because he'd found it, didn't mean he knew what to do with it. He rubbed in circles, up and down, tried pinching gently, and very quickly discovered to be careful with his fingernails when she yelped loudly at an accidental snag. He was amazingly persistent, and she was both impressed and also driven to the edge of madness by it.

Frustration built up as time and time again she was brought close, only to fall back down. Occasionally his fingers actually rubbed her correctly, nearly sending her into orgasm, but they would inevitably change and wander and she was left dangling. It drove her higher and higher, and shyness was shoved to the garbage disposal in her brain as it ceased to compute anything but sensation.

Eventually, it seemed he had reached a breaking point himself, because his fingers withdrew entirely. He licked them, making her flush and almost glare, because she knew he knew she would find that embarrassing, and for once he met her admonishing look with one of pure mischief. His normally calm mask fell away completely, exposing glittering eyes and a nearly evil smirk which had her catching her breath and growing even wetter if that was possible.

It was a brief instant and quickly he had composed his features again. It was too late though, she'd already seen it and knew just what he was thinking and feeling now. She had never, in the entire time she'd known him, seen that sort of devious expression on his face, and it numbed her brain entirely. She was almost in a trance, but quickly sobered up as she realized he was lining up for entry. Seeking to make it easier for him, her legs automatically spread wider, before her mind had even caught up with what was going on.

The realization that this was truly about to happen smacked her like a slap in the face - not an unpleasant one but a shock nonetheless. Her entire brain fired on all pistons, every neuron lighting up like a fireworks show as she absorbed what felt like a million thoughts at once. She was able to feel every nuance of his body on hers, every place they touched, and the first contact of his hot skin against hers made her jerk. Her mind was also wildly comprehending the immensity of the moment, not only the emotional significance but also the simple and yet enormous fact that he was about to _enter_ her, that his body was about to be _inside_ her, and not just any part of his body but the most _intimate_ part. It was with this nearly disbelieving mindset that she experienced it.

He pressed in slowly at first, obviously waiting to see if she would experience any pain. It was possible; this was her first time after all. There was a slight pinching sensation and discomfort, sort of an aching stretch. The fullness was almost similar to eating too much, in terms of discomfort, but at the same time totally different. She was left with absolutely no doubt or misconception about just what was going on. She could feel every inch slide in, as every bit of his skin rubbed up against hers. She could even differentiate the slight road bump that his foreskin caused, how it went in slightly differently, pushing at her more. The heat was insane, almost uncomfortable really, but warmed her from the inside out in a way that was arousing. His genitals were much warmer than hers, but she found she didn't mind.

When he was root deep he lodged himself there and sat, obviously waiting for her to either adjust, or complain and push him off. It was a strain for him, she knew, because every muscle in his body quivered against her from the tight control it took him to be still.

"Matsuri." His voice intoned, deep, husky, and raspier than she'd heard in years.

It was at this point that she realized her eyes were shut tight. At her name, she slitted her eyes open and then gasped and instantly shut them again, finding eye contact at this particular moment too intense by far.

"Matsuri, open your eyes." He demanded, and there was a certain power behind the words, a command she couldn't deny.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, meeting his gaze, and then felt everything inside her clinch. Her eyelashes fluttered and she nearly teared up, simply because of how intimate the eye contact was. Meeting his gaze when he was inside her took every ounce of control she had over herself, but she found herself trembling because of it and flushing. His stare ensnared hers though, and soon she couldn't look away even if he'd given her permission.

"Are you in pain?" He finally asked tightly.

She assessed the way she was feeling and decided pain was not one of the things she could feel at the moment. "…no." she whispered, finding it hard to even get up that much volume.

He blew out a deep breath of relief. "Good."

Slowly - still holding her eyes prisoner - he withdrew, and she was forced to feel every inch of him in reverse, the stretch easing and leaving a sensation of emptiness in its wake. Then, when he was almost fully out he slid back in, faster than before, in one fluid motion, and her eyes flew open wide before slamming shut in pleasure, her neck arching back. A groan escaped her chest. He stimulated nerves she didn't even know existed inside her, startling them awake by force it seemed.

He sucked in a sharp breath, and once again asked with an edge of anxiety, "Did that hurt?"

She shook her head vigorously, and managed to get up enough will power to open her eyes again and meet his, which were now worried. "No…It doesn't hurt. Feels good."

The emotions in his face instantly flipped, all fear erased in a millisecond to be replaced solely by passion and lust, along with some softer emotions that had been heated to a boiling point. A deep sound came from him, almost an inhuman growl, and his hips flexed, withdrawing and thrusting sharply. She yelped, experiencing another little pinch. He froze and his eyes clenched tight before continuing, forcing himself to go slower it seemed.

Everything inside her was pressed and rubbed in a way she was unfamiliar with, but instantly decided was fantastic. It felt amazing, and she quickly found herself meeting his slow grinding thrusts, which seemed to spur him faster.

It didn't last very long, his thrusts quickly became short and choppy, and then suddenly he was ducking his head into her neck and snarling viciously, his hips jerking a few more times before she felt him pulsing inside her. There was a burst of intense heat, which made her glad she was on a contraceptive because there was no other explanation than he had just emptied himself. For a long moment he stayed on top of her, muscles shivering.

She was just calming herself, when a short yelp was forced from her in shock as he suddenly rolled them over. He was dislodged from inside her in the process, and by the time she settled on top of him, she felt warmth trickle down the inside of her thigh in an almost ticklish way. She landed pressed against his chest, her legs flopping to either side of his hips. Once her shock had worn off, she sat up somewhat on him, blushing when it put their crotches into contact once again.

Ignoring that for the moment, she stared up at him questioningly. When she didn't get a response for a long moment, she rested her head on his chest and worked on getting her own breathing under control. Soon though, she was startled from her slightly lulled state as his hands smoothed down her back, full palm and almost possessively and then landed on her rear. She squeaked when he gripped her tightly, pressing her against him.

She sat up, pressing her palms into his chest to do so and stared down at him in shock, especially as she felt him hardening against her thigh once again. Not that he had grown particularly soft, he had only relaxed to a barely half-flaccid state. But now he was just as hard as before. As she sat up, his hands gripped her tighter, pulling her until her groin was pressed into his and his renewed erection pressed into the tender space between her legs where she was still throbbing.

"What are you-?"

He almost cut her off with, "Are you sore?"

She blinked in surprise. "Um…no…?"

That devious grin once again split his lips, and he rumbled, "Good…" before grabbing her hips in his hands and suddenly shifting her. He tilted his own pelvis in such a way, that as he moved her he once again got lodged in the softer spot that gave way. Once he had found it, he pressed in and she made some sort of loud sound of both pleasure and surprise, not expecting it in the least.

"W-wait are you…?" She trailed off, but it seemed he got the message just fine.

"Is that a problem?"

"I…I thought guys were supposed to…"

"Go to sleep?" He finished when she stuttered into silence once again. When she nodded, he explained, "I'm a jinchuriki. I have much higher stamina than most men."

She just stared down at him, stunned. It seemed she had bitten off more than she'd previously thought.

He cocked his head on the pillow. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no…"

That grin once again slid across his lips, and he flexed up into her, obviously pleased with her answer. She'd never been with him like this, in this mood. He was unpredictable in a way she wasn't used to, and it threw her off, making her even more vulnerable to his seduction. His first few thrusts were tentative, questioning, to see if she was ready for another round. At first she wasn't sure, but then the pleasure built up inside her again and a pleased sound was forced from her throat. At that, he grew more aggressive, taking it as a sign she was on board with the plan.

She was on board, both figuratively and literally, since she was essentially riding him for this round.

This new position also drove her to move as well, and with the urging of his hands on her hips, she began moving her hips, as well as using her thighs to bounce up and down. It was awkward and she flushed a little, but the sensations were so wonderful that her bashful tendencies were once again left by the wayside. She soon discovered other great things about this position, as his hands shifted from her hips to her breasts and caressed them, ramping up the desire and heat building in her groin. With a tilt of her pelvis some new things were hit inside that sent zings of pleasure up her spine, and she quickly learned how and which ways to move to increase those sensations. Gaara didn't seem to mind in the slightest. In fact, the way he watched with heavy lidded but still sharp eyes, it seemed he was committing the different angles to memory, and she didn't doubt he would use them to his own advantage when he was in charge of the motions.

The heat and tension wound tighter and tighter in her groin, until she could barely stand it, but still she needed something else to push her over the edge. Instinctually her itching fingers started creeping towards her clit, but once she realized what she was doing she jerked her hand away, a flush suffusing her. That was still a little too embarrassing. Her rhythm stuttered but soon picked up again.

It wasn't long before her hand was heading that direction again of its own accord when she wasn't paying attention, but she still hesitated. Little did she know that Gaara had seen the movement before, and his keen eyes were locked on her hand this time as well. When she moved to withdraw a second time, his hand caught her wrist and he pressed it against herself. For a moment she tried to tug it away, but when he didn't release his grip on her, she gave in and her fingers burrowed into her curls and folds.

With a relieved sigh, she finally found her clit and started rubbing. Gaara's eyes burned as he watched, and while it made her flush hotter than ever before and her blush slowly crept down over her breasts, it also amped up her excitement. It didn't take long before she reached her peak.

A wave of sensation washed over her, everything suddenly feeling a million times better, and with a sharp yelp and gasp she fell into it head first, her body clenching and spasming on his. He caught her as she tipped forwards, and then wrapped both arms tightly around her shivering and trembling form, thrusting up into her nearly viciously as he quickly reached his own completion.

Afterwards, they slowly came down from their respective highs.

Though Gaara urged her to go for round three, this time she requested a short nap, finding herself sore in ways she hadn't expected. It wasn't just inside, but also her hips and thighs and abdomen that were sore as she had used her muscles in all new ways.

They had taken a long nap together, before initiating round three. Eventually, when they were both hungry enough, they left the bedroom and curiously Matsuri checked the door to note that the jutsu had been removed. However, with a small smile Gaara simply locked it tight again, using the actual locks this time instead of a jutsu.

The rest of the three days of vacation were largely spent in bed.

When it was finally time to come and collect Gaara, it was Kankuro and Temari who politely tapped at his door. They were nervous, because they didn't quite know if he would still be pissed with them or not for pulling this stunt. There was a long pause, and they had to knock a second time before getting a very rough, "What?!" through the door.

They both nearly took a step back in surprise, but held themselves in place.

"Um, Gaara?" Temari called out.

There was some noise from the other side of the door, and finally locks clicked and he opened the door. Kankuro and Temari did take a step back this time, because they hadn't been sure if the jutsu was even up yet. Obviously it was, and was a success judging by his appearance. They were shocked silly by his messy hair, bare chest, and the smell of sex wafting out of the open doorway.

They were doubly shocked when Matsuri wander out of his bedroom behind him, wearing nothing but his shirt it seemed. She was equally mussed, and possessed a brilliant assortment of bite marks all along her neck.

"Gaara? Who is it?"

"My siblings." He rumbled back to her.

"Oh. Oh!" The second uttering was one of annoyance. "Temari! I'm challenging you to a dual by the way for putting me in that dress!"

"What, you didn't like it?" She asked innocently.

"That's not the point!"

Temari snickered.

They were both shocked once again when she just humphed and spun on her heel, walking back into the bedroom. Of course neither knew that she planned to write them both very nice thank you cards later.

"Well, it seemed like you pounded some of that shyness out of her…" Kankuro muttered, crude as usual.

For a second Gaara's eye flashed in a way they hadn't seen in years and both cringed back, but then a slow smirk curled his lips. He didn't say anything and the expression as instantly wiped from his face.

In his normal monotone voice he said, "I will be back in my office tomorrow." And without another word, he shut the door.

It wasn't until days later that he finally thanked them for their birthday present, and also sent a thank you scroll to Naruto.


End file.
